Waymo has ordered thousands of Chinese-made cars to expand its US robotaxi fleet

Key Points:

• Waymo, owned by Alphabet, is rapidly expanding its robotaxi fleet in the US by importing thousands of electric vehicles from Zeekr, a Chinese automaker linked to the Communist Party, raising national security and fair competition concerns among US lawmakers.
• The vehicles, called "Ojai," are assembled with Waymo’s self-driving technology in Arizona, but critics worry about potential hidden Chinese technology and data security risks despite Waymo's assurances and compliance with federal rules.
• The Commerce Department has banned imports of connected vehicles or self-driving software made in China or Russia starting in model year 2027, with legislation under consideration to close loopholes that currently allow Waymo’s Chinese vehicle imports.
• Bipartisan bills in Congress seek to ban the import of any vehicle manufactured in China, even if US companies add their own software afterward, providing a three-year grace period for companies like Waymo to phase out Chinese-made vehicles by 2030.
• Waymo defends its practices, emphasizing rigorous security testing and data privacy protections, while US lawmakers warn that Chinese-made vehicles threaten the American auto industry, national security, and could enable cyberattacks.