Waymo, the company that was once behind Google’s self-driving car project, has partnered up with Chinese carmaker Geely to expand their fleet of electric self driving US robotaxis.
The vehicle will be based off of Geely’s Zeekr 001.
The new custom car will be designed in Sweden, where Geely-owned Volvo is located and incorporate the Waymo Driver autonomous driving system.
Waymo says in a blog post that this was a part of its commitment to make sustainable transportation accessible. It added that deploying these fully autonomous, electric ride-hailing vehicles in the US is an important step.
From the concept images Waymo shared, the transportation-as-a-service (TaaS)-optimised Zeekr will have a flat floor, lowered in-step height, and B-pillarless with sliding doors, for easy entry and exit.
It will also have fully adjustable recliners and power outlets for passenger convenience and comfort.
While the original Zeekr 001 looks like a coup blown up to SUV proportions, we think the Waymo’s TaaS-optimised Zeekr looks like a minivan.
