This week, the president The outgoing Joe Biden administration has finalized rules effectively banning all vehicle technology connected to China and Russia on U.S. roads – a historic crackdown with far-reaching effects, including on the growing trade in cheap Chinese electric vehicles .
The U.S. Commerce Department argued that the rules, first proposed in September, are necessary to protect U.S. vehicles from adversaries and foreign interference. “Imagine if there were thousands or hundreds of thousands of China-connected vehicles on America’s roads that could be immediately and simultaneously disabled by someone in Beijing,” the Commerce Secretary said last year. Gina Raimondo. Bans against Chinese and Russian software will begin in 2027, and hardware restrictions will follow in 2029.
On paper, this could look like a disaster for Waymo. Autonomous 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, with Zeekr officials telling reporters earlier this month that they would begin delivering a production version of the vehicle, called Zeekr RT, later 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 owned and installed by Americans.
The vehicles Waymo receives from Geely, he says, are “basic vehicles,” lacking telematics systems and any other technology that would allow the vehicle to communicate with or send data back to its manufacturer. Only “authorized personnel” 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 its autonomous ride-hailing service using modified Jaguar I-Pace electric vehicles in the Phoenix, San Francisco, and Los Angeles metropolitan area. Atlanta and Austin are expected to join them later this year.
The company also signed a deal with Hyundai to use modified Ioniq 5s in its ride-hailing fleet later this year.
Even if Waymo remains confident in its new vehicles – which will have more legroom, a higher ceiling and a low step which could make the vehicles accessible to more drivers – will circumvent the ban, it is still unclear whether they could be subject to new 100% tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, which the Biden administration finalized last fall.
“We’re monitoring pricing closely, but Waymo’s plans are on track,” confirms Teicher.
