Tokyo Embraces Future: Driverless Taxis to Hit the Streets by 2027

Waymo, GO, and Nihon Kotsu are collaborating to launch Japan's first fully autonomous taxi service in Tokyo by 2027. The project aims to start with a small fleet and expand to 100 vehicles, pending regulatory approvals. This initiative seeks to address Japan's driver shortage and population decline.

Waymo, Alphabet's autonomous driving unit, is embarking on a groundbreaking venture in Japan's capital. In partnership with Japanese taxi app operator GO and taxi company Nihon Kotsu, they aim to launch the country's first fully autonomous taxi service by 2027.

The service will begin on a smaller scale, eventually expanding to around 100 vehicles across key areas in Tokyo, pending regulatory approvals and further validation of Waymo's technology and operating model. When fully operational, this service will be accessible via both the GO and Waymo apps, offering the public driverless rides from day one.

This initiative is set against the backdrop of Japan's ongoing driver shortage and declining population, providing a strategic solution for urban mobility challenges. In recent years, Waymo has been gathering data in Tokyo using human-driven Jaguar I-PACE vehicles, marking their first operations outside the U.S.