The industry leader Waymo has presented its new robot taxi: The electric vehicle comes from Zeekr.
The Google sister Waymo presented the latest model of a robot taxi at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The new vehicle comes from Zeekr, which belongs to Geely. The cooperation was announced in February. So far, Waymo has used Chrysler Pacificas and Jaguar I-Paces for its fleet.
Zeekr was originally founded last year as a premium EV brand in its own right to compete with Tesla, Nio and Xpeng. The parent company Geely also bought Volvo and owns ten percent from Daimler. Zeekr also cooperates with Mobileye.
The new Waymo model is based on Zeek’s M-Vision concept, which is not expected to roll off the assembly line until 2024. It is based on the Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA) platform, which supports various applications. The architecture also allows Waymo to add its autonomous technology to the vehicle: the Waymo Driver.
Waymo said the vehicle fits the one-ride hailing concept. The car features a long wheelbase, electric sliding doors and a flat floor with a low step-in height. Displays and charging options are also installed.
The development was done in cooperation with Zeekr’s research and development facility called the China Europe Vehicle Technology Center (“CEVT”) in Gothenburg. The battery provides power for 16 hours of driving.