Waymo's autonomous vehicles are headed to Tokyo, marking the first time the Alphabet company is deploying the vehicles on public roads in an overseas market.
Waymo makes travel simple “Road Trip” To collect data about the nuances of Japanese driving, including left-hand traffic and navigating dense urban environments. The vehicles will be manually driven for the purpose of gathering mapping data and managed by the local taxi fleet operator, Nihon Kotsu. About 25 vehicles will be shipped, with the first set arriving in early 2025.
And while the trials will undoubtedly be seen as laying the groundwork for a future Tokyo-based robotaxi service, Waymo said it's not ready to announce anything yet.
“While we look forward to bringing the life-saving benefits of Waymo Driver globally, we have no plans to serve riders in Tokyo at this time,” said Sandy Karp, a Waymo spokesperson. “Rather, we are bringing our technology to bear to learn and understand how Waymo fits into the existing transportation landscape and learning how to best partner with local officials and communities.”
inclusion of GO, a popular taxi app in JapanThe strategic partnership may signal Waymo's intention to bring its autonomous vehicles into service through a locally based mobility provider. Waymo is already doing this in the US, building its own autonomous vehicles Available on Uber's RideHail app In Austin and Atlanta.
“We have no plans to serve riders in Tokyo at this time.”
Waymo's robotaxi business in America is growing, albeit slowly. The company currently has approximately 700 vehicles in operation in several cities, including San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin, and Phoenix. It also plans to launch a robotaxi service in Atlanta in an exclusive partnership with Uber and plans to launch in Miami In 2026. Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai recently said that Waymo was Providing 175,000 paid trips per weekOr about a million miles.
In Tokyo, Waymo's vehicles will be operated by trained autonomous experts employed by Nihon Kotsu. Once the company feels it's ready, it will transition to hands-free autonomous driving with a safety driver behind the wheel. Carp would not say whether it would eventually progress toward fully driverless operations. The vehicles will be geofenced in certain areas of Tokyo, including Minato, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Chiyoda, Cho, Shinagawa and Koto.
By bringing its vehicles to its first overseas country, Alphabet is trying to project confidence in its technology, especially at a time when companies are pulling away from costly robotaxi projects. General Motors recently announced that it will Will not fund cruise now and will instead turn to driver-assistance technology and personally owned autonomous vehicles.
Many companies have tested their autonomous vehicles in Japan, but This country is a little backward compared to China and America.Part of the problem appears to be that the country's strong auto industry is focusing its testing in countries other than its home country. Both Toyota and Nissan are looking to deploy robotaxis in China in collaboration with local operators.