Waymo has announced its first international expansion, partnering with Nihon Kotsu and GO to launch its autonomous vehicles in Tokyo, Japan. In the city, the Alphabet subsidiary’s Waymo Driver system will learn to adapt to left-hand traffic, while also learning the necessary driving nuances associated with one of the world’s most densely populated urban environments.
Choosing Japan for its first international territory will allow Waymo to work alongside local partners, government officials and community groups to understand the new landscape its autonomous vehicles will be operating on. At the same time the company is aiming to understand how best it can serve Tokyo’s residents and integrate its robotaxis into the city’s transportation ecosystem – rigorously validating the safety and performance of its technology along the way.
The company’s engagement with the Japanese government, through policymakers, regulators, and local safety officials, will similarly work to ensure the seamless implementation of Waymo’s technology to Tokyo’s streets. This implementation will see Waymo send a small fleet of Jaguar I-Pace EVs to Tokyo in early 2025, with Nihon Kotsu (a taxi company based in the city) overseeing the management of and service of these vehicles. Together, the companies will work to train Nihon Kotsu’s team on operating this fleet, with its drivers initially operating them manually to map key areas of the city, including Minato, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Chiyoda, Chūō, Shinagawa, and Kōtō.
Through this initial phase in Tokyo, Waymo is ultimately looking to accelerate the development of the Waymo Driver, allowing it to evaluate how it generalizes to new environments through simulation.
