On December 17, it was announced that Waymo, the autonomous driving subsidiary of Alphabet, Google's parent company, will partner with Japan's transportation and taxi app GO to bring autonomous vehicles to Tokyo. This marks the launch of Waymo's first international road initiative.
Waymo stated that the company will adapt to Japan's left-hand traffic rules and navigate the challenges of driving in densely populated urban environments. The first fleet of all-electric Jaguar I-PACE vehicles is expected to arrive in Tokyo in early 2025, managed and maintained by Nihon Kotsu, Tokyo's largest taxi company.
Both parties will jointly train the Nihon Kotsu team to operate vehicles equipped with the Waymo Driver autonomous system. During the initial phase of the project, Nihon Kotsu drivers will manually operate the vehicles to collect mapping data necessary for the autonomous driving system.
Additionally, Waymo has entered a strategic partnership with GO, a popular taxi app in Japan. This collaboration suggests that Waymo may gradually integrate its autonomous vehicles into practical operations through local service providers. However, Waymo spokesperson Sandy Karp clarified that there are currently no plans to offer autonomous taxi services to passengers in Tokyo.
