Waymo, which operates under the umbrella of Alphabet, and Toyota have signed a strategic partnership to develop next-generation autonomous driving technologies. The two companies will work on the integration of advanced driver assistance systems and fully autonomous driving technologies in cars.

Waymo and Toyota to collaborate in the field of autonomous driving

Waymo CEO Tekedra Mawakana stated that this agreement will not only accelerate autonomous solutions; it also stated that certain Toyota models could join Waymo’s robotaxi fleet in the future.

Waymo has previously collaborated on similar projects with manufacturers such as Jaguar Land Rover, Daimler, Hyundai and Geely. While the company has focused primarily on commercial robotaxi services until now, it is now working on systems for personal use vehicles.

Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai also stated last week that Waymo is reshaping its long-term business model and that solutions for individual vehicle owners offer significant opportunities.

This shift in the sector parallels General Motors’ temporary cessation of its Cruise division and its prioritization of autonomous systems for individual vehicles. Tesla is also following a similar path. Elon Musk announced in June that they would launch a fully autonomous robotaxi service with an “unattended” driving system in Texas.

Waymo’s driverless robotaxi service is currently active in major cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Austin. What do you think about this? You can share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.