Waymo will deploy its self-driving cars in Japan and will test its technology in another country for the first time. According to CNBC, the company will start testing its Jaguar I-PACE cars in Tokyo in early 2025 and expects to stay in the country for an “extended period.” During the experimental phase, which will last for several blocks, human drivers from the Japanese taxi company Nihon Kotsu will drive Waymo cars so that the technology can map the city. Specifically, they will drive Waymo’s Jaguar I-PACE through the streets of Shinjuku, Shibuya, and other key areas of Tokyo.
The data collected during these tests will be used to train the company’s self-driving system. Waymo will also replicate the driving conditions in Tokyo at a closed test site in the United States, where it tests most of its robotaxis, and use the data collected during these tests for training. The company has not yet announced when it will open rides to the public, but it has already entered into a partnership with the Japanese taxi app GO, which is likely to offer driverless rides to users in the future. As CNBC notes, Japan is looking to introduce driverless travel despite its efficient rail system due to an aging population. Last year, it amended its legislation to allow Level 4 autonomous driving on its roads.
In the US, Waymo operates its self-driving cars in Phoenix, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. However, in recent months, the company has announced several plans to introduce its cars in more cities and has raised $5.6 billion to fund its expansion in Austin and Atlanta next year. Waymo will also deploy its Jaguar I-PACE cars in Miami in early 2025 and offer rides to the public in the city sometime in 2026.
