Waymo and Toyota are partnering to explore autonomous vehicles, bringing together two of the most iconic and respected companies in their respective fields.

Waymo is an Alphabet company, and has quickly established itself as one of the leaders in the autonomous driving market. Meanwhile, Toyota has a well-earned reputation for creating some of the most iconic and dependable vehicles in recent decades.

The two companies announced they have “reached a preliminary agreement to explore a collaboration focused on accelerating the development and deployment of autonomous driving technologies.” The two companies want to develop and build an all-new autonomous vehicle platform.

Toyota has long advanced research and development in support of a zero-traffic-accident vision, guided by a three-pillar approach that integrates people, vehicles, and traffic infrastructure. Automated driving and advanced safety technologies play a central role, exemplified by the development and global deployment of Toyota Safety Sense (TSS) — a proprietary suite of advanced safety technologies. TSS reflects Toyota’s belief that technologies have the greatest impact when they are made widely accessible. Through this new collaboration, the 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, the global leader in autonomous driving technology, now serves more than a quarter of a million trips each week across the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Austin. With tens of millions of miles traveled, the data shows that Waymo is making roads safer where it operates, including being involved in 81% fewer injury-causing crashes compared to a human benchmark. Waymo is 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 this strategic partnership will now begin to incorporate aspects of its technology for personally owned vehicles.

Executives from both companies emphasized the potential benefits of the collaboration, especially the goal of eliminating traffic accidents.

“Toyota is committed to realizing a society with zero traffic accidents and becoming a mobility company that delivers mobility for all,” said Hiroki Nakajima, Member of the Board and Executive Vice President of Toyota Motor Corporation. “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.”

“Waymo’s mission is to be the world’s most trusted driver,” added Tekedra Mawakana, co-CEO at Waymo. “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.”