This week, president Joe Biden’s outgoing administration finalized rules that effectively ban all connected Chinese and Russian vehicle technology on American roads, a historic crackdown with far-reaching effects, most notably on the growing trade in low-cost Chinese electric vehicles.
The U.S. Commerce Department has argued that the rules, first proposed in September, are necessary to protect U.S. vehicles from foreign adversaries and interference. “Imagine if there were thousands or hundreds of thousands of Chinese-connected vehicles on American roads that someone in Beijing could immediately and simultaneously disable,” Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said last year. Bans against Chinese and Russian software will begin in 2027, and hardware restrictions will follow in 2029.
On paper, that might look like a disaster for Waymo. Self-driving technology developer Alphabet announced in 2021 that automaker Zeekr, a brand majority owned by Chinese auto giant Geely, would build its next generation of robotaxis.
In fact, pre-production models are already being tested on the roads of San Francisco and Phoenix, and Zeekr officials told reporters earlier this month that they will begin delivering a production version of the vehicle, called Zeekr RT, to end of this year.
Despite the new rules, Waymo is confident that this partnership will not be affected and intends to move forward as planned.
“We do not anticipate that the final rule will impact our use of the Zeekr platform,” Waymo spokesperson Ethan Teicher wrote in an email to WIRED.
In comments submitted to the Commerce Department last year, Waymo argued that its vehicles should not be subject to the new rules because all connected technology on board is U.S.-owned and installed.
The vehicles Waymo receives from Geely, he says, are “base vehicles,” stripped of telematics systems and any other technology that allows the vehicle to communicate with its manufacturer or send it data. Only “authorized personnel” install Waymo’s self-driving technology in cars after delivery in the United States.
The Commerce Department did not respond to WIRED’s questions about Waymo’s Zeekr partnership.
Today, Waymo operates its autonomous transportation service using modified Jaguar I-Pace electric vehicles in the Phoenix, Arizona, San Francisco, and Los Angeles metropolitan areas. Atlanta and Austin are expected to join later this year.
The company also signed a deal with Hyundai to use modified Ioniq 5s in its ride-sharing fleet later this year.
While Waymo continues to rely on its new vehicles — which will have more legroom, a higher roof and a low step that could make the vehicles accessible to more passengers — will bypass the ban, it is not yet clear whether they could be subject to new 100 percent tariffs on the vehicles. Chinese electric vehicles, which the Biden administration ended last fall.
“We are closely monitoring rates, but Waymo’s plans are on track,” confirms Teicher.