Waymo announced a new partnership with Zeekr, a premium EV brand that belongs to the Geely Holding Group. The automaker will build electric vehicles to be used as part of the Waymo One autonomous ride-hailing services in the United States. The vehicles will be designed in Zeekr’s R&D center in Gothenburg, Sweeden, and will incorporate the Waymo Driver autonomous technology. Waymo showed a concept with a minivan silhouette, modern design features, and ADAS sensors on the roof and on the four corners of the vehicle.
Waymo said that the vehicles are “designed
to prioritize the comfort, convenience, and preferences of Waymo One riders”.
The minivan shown in the pictures has a wraparound greenhouse and sliding doors
that create a large opening for the spacious cabin. The lack of a B-pillar, the
low flat floor, and the generous legroom/headroom make ingress and egress
easier for passengers. Inside there is room for up to five in comfy-looking
reclining seats, there are easy to reach chargers for electronic devices, and
the dashboard has nothing but a screen and speakers.
Waymo is already offering autonomous
ride-hailing services in Phoenix, Arizona, and in San Fransisco, California,
using specially prepared vehicles based on the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid and the
Jaguar I-Pace EV respectively.
As reported by Automotive News, the
collaboration will benefit both parties since Waymo will be able to expand its
ride-hailing services while the newly established Zeekr will get lots of
exposure in the US. Waymo didn’t give us specific dates on the introduction of
the Zeekr vehicles but said that they will arrive on US roads “in the years to
come”.
