Alphabet's Waymo, Local Partners Plan 2027 Tokyo Autonomous Taxi Launch

04:01 AM EDT, 09/15/2026 (MT Newswires) -- Alphabet's (GOOG, GOOGL) Waymo unit said Monday it partnered with Japanese mobility platform GO and taxi operator Nihon Kotsu to launch a driverless ride-hailing service in Tokyo in 2027. Riders will access the autonomous transportation through both the GO and Waymo mobile applications, the company said. The operation plans to deploy an initial vehicle fleet before expanding to roughly 100 automobiles in busy Tokyo neighborhoods, it said. The commercial rollout remains subject to getting required licenses and permits from national and local government agencies, Waymo said.