Google’s parent company, Alphabet, still has its robotaxi operations with Waymo’s renowned business looking to expand internationally, and its first country to bring its services to is Japan. The latest announcement from Waymo revealed its grand global expansion plan to Japan’s capital and highly-condensed city of Tokyo, partnering with local companies in the East Asian country.
Over the past years, Japan has been the central hub of technological advancements including automation and robotics, with Waymo’s self-driving robotaxis set to be a great fit to the bustling Kanto region.
Waymo is Expanding Its Robotaxi Services to Tokyo, Japan
A new blog post from Waymo brings significant news in the expansion of its robotaxi operations, particularly as it is targeting another city for the self-driving experience, but this time, it is coming to Tokyo, Japan. Three years after its beta testing phase launched in San Francisco, California, Alphabet is now bringing Waymo’s self-driving capabilities overseas to Japan’s capital city.
This expansion was made possible with Waymo’s partnership with two local Japanese companies including Nihon Kotsu and GO which will help the company bring their robotaxi operations to the city.
According to Waymo, the company’s Driver will first learn about the left-hand traffic scheme of Japan which is significantly different from America’s right-hand traffic, including the many differences in Japanese driving culture.
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Self-Driving Waymo Ones are Coming to Tokyo in 2025
It remains unknown if Waymo One cars featuring the Jaguar I-PACE vehicles will also transform into right-hand drive cars, as the vehicles in Japan have their layout on the opposite side. According to Waymo, the Tokyo operations for its autonomous vehicles will begin by early 2025 and will be seen in key areas of Tokyo including Chuo, Chiyoda, Koto, Minato, Shibuya, Shinagawa, and Shinjuku.
Nihon Kotsu, Tokyo’s largest taxi company, will oversee Waymo’s self-driving operations in the city and manage the Waymo One vehicle once it arrives in the country.
US’ Robotaxi Services: One Down, Waymo Remains
This 2024 and the past year was a massive challenge for robotaxi companies as they were caught in massive controversies regarding their self-driving services that have been involved in multiple cases of accidents. Alphabet’s Waymo was also a part of this, particularly as it faced a suspension in California amid safety concerns, with theregulators looking into their service.
Its rival from General Motors, Cruise, also faced significant regulatory scrutiny in the robotaxi industry as its services also faced a suspension in several areas like California and Texas, also for safety concerns. That being said, the company geared up to bring back its services in various cities of operations, with its Phoenix, Arizona service returning with human safety drivers to intervene during intense situations.
However, as the robotaxi companies of the United States are looking to make a comeback after regulatory issues mellowed down, GM announced that it is already giving up on Cruise and using its resources to develop ADAS for its private vehicles. There is only one robotaxi titan that remains in the United States which is already operational, and Waymo wants to move forward with its services, making its grand debut in Tokyo by 2025.
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