Waymo aims for 20,000 robotaxis as Chinese-built vans draw scrutiny
Waymo plans to double its 4,000-car robotaxi fleet by year's end and reach 20,000 by the end of 2027, Semafor reports. The New York Post reports it is on pace to import about 5,100 Chinese-built vans this year. Some US lawmakers have raised security concerns.
Waymo plans to grow its robotaxi fleet from about 4,000 cars to 8,000 by the end of this year and to 20,000 by the end of 2027, Semafor reported Monday, citing people familiar with the matter. Waymo declined to comment.
The company plans to use the $5 billion it recently borrowed from private credit lenders to expand, Semafor reported. It was Waymo's first debt raise, and it came without guarantees from its parent company, Alphabet. Waymo said on its website that it raised the money to grow in the U.S. and abroad. It operates in 15 U.S. cities and is bringing rides to places such as Toronto.
Much of the growth is coming from China. Waymo is on pace to import about 5,100 of its powder-blue "Ojai" vans by the end of the year, more than doubling its current fleet, according to tracking data from the research firm MoffettNathanson, the New York Post reported. The Ojai is a rebranded version of a vehicle made by Zeekr, a unit of China's Geely Holding Group. Most of Waymo's current fleet is Jaguar I-Pace SUVs.
The imports are stoking concerns among U.S. lawmakers about national security and fair competition, the Post reported. The Commerce Department has banned imports or sales of "connected vehicles" or self-driving software made in China or Russia starting with model year 2027, and Congress is weighing a law to formalize the ban.
Waymo says it complies with federal rules by buying only the physical vehicles from Zeekr and adding its own sensors and self-driving software at a plant in Arizona, the Post reported.
Critics say that is not enough. Missy Cummings, a former senior safety adviser at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, called Waymo's explanation "carefully curated" and insufficient, according to the Post.
The Ojai vans are on the road in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Phoenix and are planned for Denver, Las Vegas and San Diego this fall, the Post reported.
What we know: Waymo is adding thousands of Chinese-built vans, and Semafor reports a goal of 20,000 cars by late 2027.
What we don't: Whether Waymo will confirm those fleet targets or Congress will restrict the vans.
Where outlets agree Semafor and the New York Post both report that Waymo has ordered thousands of Chinese-made Zeekr vehicles to expand its fleet.
Where they differ Waymo says it follows federal rules by adding its own software in Arizona, while critics cited by the New York Post say the Chinese tie-up is still a security risk.