Toyota, Waymo explore collaboration to speed up self-driving tech

Toyota Motor and Alphabet's Waymo said on Wednesday they have agreed to explore a collaboration on speeding up the development and deployment of autonomous driving technology.

The two companies in a joint statement said they aim to combine respective strengths to develop an autonomous vehicle platform, while also exploring ways to enhance next-generation personally owned vehicles (POVs).

"The companies aim to further accelerate the development and adoption of driver assistance and automated driving technologies for POVs," they said.

The firms said they will discuss the possibility of expanding the scope of their cooperation, adding that Toyota's autonomous driving technology unit Woven by Toyota will join the potential collaboration.

Earlier this month, Waymo started collecting data in Tokyo with test rides operated by human drivers to map key areas of the Japanese capital and get a better understanding of local infrastructure and driving patterns.

Woven by Toyota is developing an automotive software platform, Arene, and building a testing site named Woven City for mobility-related systems and services in Shizuoka Prefecture, west of Tokyo.