This week, President Joe Biden's outgoing administration has finalized rules banning all vehicle technology linked to China and Russia from US roads – a landmark crackdown with far-reaching implications , especially for increased trade Cheap electric cars from China.
The U.S. Department of Commerce has argued that the rules, the first proposed in Septemberis necessary to protect American assets from foreign interference and adversaries. “Imagine if there were thousands or hundreds of thousands of China-linked vehicles on American roads that could be immediately and effectively disabled by someone in Beijing,” Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said last year. simultaneously”. The ban on Chinese and Russian software will begin in 2027, with hardware restrictions to be imposed in 2029.
On paper, that sounds like a disaster Waymo. Self-driving car technology developer Alphabet announced in 2021 that automaker Zeekr — a brand majority-owned by Chinese auto giant Geely — will build the next generation of robotaxis .
In fact, pre-production models have already been road tested in San Francisco and Phoenix. Zeekr officials told reporters earlier this month that they will begin offering the production version of the vehicle, called the Zeekr RT, later this year.
Despite the new regulations, Waymo is confident that this partnership will not be affected and intends to continue moving forward as planned.
“We do not anticipate the final rule will impact use of our Zeekr platform,” Waymo spokesman Ethan Teicher wrote in an email to WIRED.
In comments to the Commerce Department last year, Waymo argued that its vehicles were not subject to the new regulations because all of the onboard connectivity technology was American-owned and equipped.
They said the cars Waymo received from Geely were “basic vehicles”, without telematics systems and any other technology that would allow the vehicle to communicate or send data back to the manufacturer. Only “authorized personnel” will install Waymo's self-driving technology into cars after they are delivered to the United States.
The Commerce Department did not respond to WIRED's questions about Waymo's Zeekr partnership.
Today, Waymo operates a self-driving car-hailing service using Jaguar I-Pace streetcars in metro Phoenix, Arizona, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Atlanta and Austin are expected to join later this year.
The company also signed an agreement with Hyundai Modified use Ioniq 5s in its ride-hailing fleet later this year.
While Waymo is still confident new car —will have more legroom, a higher roof and lower steps that could help more drivers access the vehicle— would overturn the ban, it is unclear whether they can be imposed New 100% tax on Chinese electric vehicleswhich the Biden administration finalized last fall.
“We are closely monitoring the tariffs, but Waymo's plans are on track,” Teicher confirmed.