Toyota Motor Corporation and Waymo have agreed to collaborate on accelerating the development and deployment of autonomous driving technologies. Woven by Toyota will also join the potential collaboration as Toyota’s strategic enabler, contributing its strengths in advanced software and mobility innovation. This potential partnership is built on a shared vision of improving road safety and delivering increased mobility for all.
Toyota and Waymo aim to combine their respective strengths to develop a new autonomous vehicle platform. In parallel, the companies will explore how to leverage Waymo’s autonomous technology and Toyota’s vehicle expertise to enhance next-generation personally owned vehicles (POVs). The scope of the collaboration will continue to evolve through ongoing discussions.
Toyota has long advanced research and development in support of a zero-traffic-accident vision, guided by a three-pillar approach that integrates people, vehicles and traffic infrastructure. Automated driving and advanced safety technologies play a central role, exemplified by the development and global deployment of Toyota Safety Sense (TSS) – a proprietary suite of advanced safety technologies.
TSS reflects Toyota’s belief that technologies have the greatest impact when they are made widely accessible. Through this new collaboration, the companies aim to accelerate the development and adoption of driver assistance and automated driving technologies for POVs.
Waymo now serves more than a quarter of a million trips each week across the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Austin. With tens of millions of miles traveled, the data shows that Waymo is making roads safer where it operates, including being involved in 81% fewer injury-causing crashes compared with a human benchmark (according to the company’s own data). Waymo is building a generalizable driver that can be applied to a variety of vehicle platforms and businesses over time. The company continues to scale its commercial ride-hailing service, Waymo One, and through this strategic partnership will now begin to incorporate aspects of its technology for personally owned vehicles.
Hiroki Nakajima, member of the board and executive VP of Toyota Motor Corporation, emphasized the significance of this collaboration, stating, “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, and we are confident this collaboration can help bring our solutions to more people around the world, moving us one step closer to a zero-accident society. Our companies are taking an important step toward a future with greater safety and peace of mind for all.”
Tekedra Mawakana, co-CEO at Waymo, also emphasized the impact of this collaboration, stating, “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.”