Toyota Motor Corporation announced this week that it has reached an agreement with US autonomous driving technology company Waymo LLC to explore opportunities to collaborate in accelerating the development and deployment of autonomous driving technologies. Toyota’s mobility technology subsidiary, Woven by Toyota, will join the project as the Japanese automaker’s “strategic enabler, contributing its advanced software and mobility innovation capabilities.”
The two companies said the potential partnership is built on a shared vision of improving road safety and delivering increased mobility for all. They aim to combine their respective strengths to develop a new autonomous vehicle platform. They plan to leverage Waymo’s autonomous technologies and Toyota’s vehicle expertise “to enhance next-generation personally owned vehicles (POVs).” The scope of the collaboration is expected to evolve through ongoing discussions.
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Toyota pointed out that it has long-standing research and development (R&D) programmes in support of its “zero-traffic-accident vision,” with automated driving and advanced safety technologies playing a central role – which it says is “exemplified by the development and global deployment of Toyota Safety Sense (TSS)―a proprietary suite of advanced safety technologies.”
Toyota said that TSS reflects its belief that technologies have the greatest impact when they are made widely accessible. Through this new collaboration, the two companies aim to further accelerate the development and adoption of driver assistance and automated driving technologies for POVs “with a continued focus on safety and peace of mind.”
Waymo said its autonomous taxis carry out more than a quarter of a million trips per week in the US, across the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Austin, with “tens of millions of miles” driven so far. The company claims its data show that roads are made safer where it operates, with its vehicles involved in 81% fewer injury-causing crashes compared with “a human benchmark.”
Waymo said it is now 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 its strategic partnership with Toyota plans to begin incorporating aspects of its technology in future POVs.
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By GlobalDataToyota Motor executive vice president, Hiroki Nakajima, 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, added: “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.”
