The robotaxi industry leader is gaining momentum and partners among automakers, who are finally getting serious about autonomous driving.

Waymo and Toyota have agreed to explore a possible deal that could one day lead to a new vehicle designed for ride-hailing and even bring self-driving

Toyota announced a preliminary partnership with Waymo on Wednesday that could result in the Japanese automaker collaborating with the Alphabet unit on autonomous vehicle technology. Why it matters: As the world's second largest automaker by sales and an industry leader in manufacturing efficiency,