Waymo, Japanese partners target driverless taxi service in Tokyo in 2027

TOKYO, Sept 15 (Reuters) - ‌Alphabet's autonomous ​driving ​unit Waymo, Japanese taxi app operator GO and taxi company Nihon Kotsu said on Tuesday ‌they aim to launch Japan's first fully ⁠autonomous commercial taxi service in Tokyo in 2027.

The companies said they ‌planned to start with ‌a small fleet before expanding to about 100 vehicles across key Tokyo neighbourhoods, subject to regulatory ​approvals and the ongoing validation of Waymo's technology and operating model.

Once approvals are secured and the ⁠service is fully validated, it will operate without drivers and be available ​through both the GO and Waymo apps, the companies said in a joint statement.

"From day ​one, this will be an ‌unmanned service for the public," Waymo Co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana told reporters at a joint ⁠press conference in Tokyo.

"We'll grow our fleet responsibly over time, steadily operating until anyone in Tokyo can download ⁠an app and take a ride."

The announcement marks the latest step ​in Waymo's Japan push after the company began collecting data in Tokyo in 2025 using human-driven Jaguar I-PACE vehicles, its ‌first public-road operations outside the United States.

The companies said the service could help address ‌Japan's driver shortage and its broader population decline.

Japanese ⁠automaker Nissan has separately ‌been working with ​British startup Wayve and Uber Technologies on developing robotaxis.

(Reporting by Daniel Leussink; Editing by Jamie ‌Freed)

---

Serious News for Serious Traders! Try StreetInsider.com Premium Free!

---

You May Also Be Interested In

• US FAA says error messages in telecommunications circuit prompted shift to backup on Sunday
• Anthropic says Claude AI helped discover novel enzyme system
• Trading Day: US yields cross 5% threshold​