Toyota Partners With Waymo For Self-Driving Cars: Know Details

Japanese automaker Toyota has announced that it is partnering up with Waymo for the development and deployment of autonomous driving systems. Sharing this update the company revealed that a preliminary agreement has been put into place to explore a collaboration focused on autonomous driving technologies. Woven by Toyota, a subsidiary involved in software and mobility systems, will also take part in the discussions.

Toyota and Waymo plan to examine the development of a new vehicle platform that integrates autonomous systems. The companies will also consider how Waymo’s autonomous technology can be used in Toyota’s future passenger vehicles. Discussions on the direction and details of the collaboration are ongoing.

Toyota’s approach to road safety includes work across vehicles, infrastructure, and user behavior. As part of its current strategy, Toyota has deployed driver assistance systems under the Toyota Safety Sense name. The company aims to apply lessons from this initiative to the potential partnership with Waymo.

Waymo reports conducting over 250,000 trips each week in selected U.S. cities including San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Austin. The company has recorded data from its operations indicating lower rates of injury-causing incidents compared to human-driven benchmarks in these areas.

The potential partnership includes plans to examine the use of autonomous systems in privately owned vehicles. Both companies have stated that their focus will remain on functional development and safety outcomes as discussions continue.

Hiroki Nakajima, Member of the Board and Executive Vice President of Toyota Motor Corporation said, “Toyota is committed to realizing a society with zero traffic accidents and becoming a mobility company that delivers mobility for all. We share a strong sense of purpose and a common vision with Waymo in advancing safety through automated driving technology”.

Tekedra Mawakana, co-CEO at Waymo said, “Waymo’s mission is to be the world’s most trusted driver. This requires global partners like Toyota that share our commitment to improving road safety and expanding accessible transportation. We look forward to exploring this strategic partnership, incorporating their vehicles into our ride-hailing fleet and bringing the magic of Waymo’s autonomous driving technology to Toyota customers”.