Waymo to launch fully autonomous ride-hailing in Tokyo in 2027 with Nihon Kotsu and GO
SuzKP · x · 2026-09-15
Waymo has signed agreements with Nihon Kotsu and GO to prepare a commercial launch of fully driverless ride-hailing in Tokyo in 2027.
- Scale: Waymo now serves 500k+ weekly fully autonomous trips across 15 US cities, demonstrated to be over 15x safer than human drivers.
- Tokyo prep: Vehicles have been testing since 2025 under Nihon Kotsu supervision, navigating narrow streets and dense crowds; the service pairs Waymo's tech with GO's mobility platform and Nihon Kotsu's century of taxi operations, running 24/7.
- Why Japan: aging population and looming labor shortages make autonomous taxis a complement to Tokyo's transit network.
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