When it comes to self-driving cars, Toyota may not be at the top of your head, but that doesn’t mean that the world’s largest automaker by sales volume isn’t dabbling in the technology. In fact, the Japanese marque has recently announced that it has reached a preliminary agreement with Alphabet’s Waymo to explore a strategic collaboration.
Toyota
- Founded
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August 28, 1937
- Founder
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Kiichiro Toyoda
- Headquarters
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Aichi, Japan
- Owned By
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Publicly Traded
- Current CEO
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Koji Sato
The goal? To push for the deployment of Toyota-branded self-driving cars (the Lexus LS has previously been used, but these new vehicles will be built from scratch), with road safety improvement and mobility for all in mind.
Not Just For Fleet-Based Services – Personal Ownership Is Also In The Cards
If you expect a self-driving Toyota RAV4 because of the Waymo partnership, that won’t be the case. The companies will be jointly developing a new autonomous vehicle platform, leveraging Toyota’s vehicle design and manufacturing strengths and Waymo’s head start on autonomous driving technology. Toyota’s own division for said tech will also be joining in with its advanced software and mobility expertise.
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What sets Toyota apart from Waymo’s partnership with other brands like Hyundai, Jaguar, and China’s Zeekr is that the upcoming autonomous vehicle platform won’t be for fleet-based services but also for next-generation personally owned vehicles (POVs). Those are the primary scope of the partnership for now, though Toyota and Waymo have explicitly mentioned that it will “continue to evolve through ongoing discussions.”
“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.”
– Hiroki Nakajima, member of the board and executive vice president of Toyota Motor Corporation
A Focus On Improving Road Safety
Interestingly, the press release mentioned “improving road safety” and “peace of mind” on several occasions. However, Waymo isn’t exactly spotless in this regard, with the former Google self-driving car going under public scrutiny last year for several reported accidents, resulting in the NHTSA getting involved. Whatever the two companies are cooking, hopefully, it improves the technology for the sake of everyone.
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Toyota has been working on self-driving technology even before the turn of the millennium. In 2019, the company announced a Lexus LS armed with autonomous driving tech, while self-driving Toyota Sienna taxis were showcased in 2021. Earlier this year, Toyota also unveiled its plans to collaborate with Nvidia to improve its self-driving technology.
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