Waymo Is Expanding Its Robotaxi Fleet With Chinese-Built Cars
Waymo is importing thousands of Zeekr-made EVs rebadged as robotaxis, using a loophole in rules meant to keep Chinese vehicle tech off US roads.
What happened: Waymo, owned by Alphabet, is importing thousands of electric vans built by Zeekr, a Chinese automaker owned by Geely, which has ties to the Chinese Communist Party. The powder-blue vans, branded Ojai, already run in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Phoenix, with Denver, Las Vegas and San Diego planned this fall. Research firm MoffettNathanson estimates Waymo will import about 5,100 of these vehicles by the end of 2026, more than doubling its fleet, which is mostly built on Jaguar I-Pace SUVs assembled in Austria. Waymo fits each Zeekr chassis with its own sensors and self-driving software at a plant in Arizona.
Why it matters: This arrives as Washington tries to shut Chinese vehicle technology out of US roads. The Commerce Department has banned imports of connected vehicles and self-driving software from China or Russia starting with 2027 models, and 127.5% tariffs have largely locked Chinese automakers out of the US. Critics, including former NHTSA safety advisor Missy Cummings, say there's no way to fully verify a Zeekr-built chassis doesn't carry hidden sensors capable of sending data back to China, even after Waymo's modifications. Lawmakers point to a Chinese shipping firm, COSCO, caught using hidden gear to intercept military communications, as the type of risk they fear.
How it works, plainly: Current rules target vehicles and software made in China, not vehicles merely assembled by a Chinese manufacturer whose bare chassis is later rebuilt with American tech. Waymo buys stripped Zeekr platforms, then adds its own sensors, computers and self-driving software in Arizona, a process it says keeps it compliant and avoids sharing US rider data, source code or algorithms with Zeekr. Because the finished vehicle carries no Chinese software, Waymo argues it falls outside the ban. The economics help explain the appeal: a Zeekr-based robotaxi costs Waymo an estimated 98,000 to 115,000 dollars to build, versus about 200,000 dollars for a Jaguar-based one.
The rollout: Two bipartisan bills aim to close this loophole. Sens. Bernie Moreno and Elissa Slotkin want to ban the import of any vehicle manufactured in China outright, regardless of what's added afterward; Rep. John Moolenaar, who chairs the House Select Committee on China, has introduced a companion bill, warning compromised vehicles could become remote-controlled hazards. Both proposals include a three-year grace period, meaning Waymo would have until 2030 to phase out Chinese-built vehicles if either becomes law. For now, Waymo's expansion continues, with the company saying it supports the Commerce Department's existing rule.