Waymo and Zeekr partner on e-hailing pod

Geely’s premium electric brand, Zeekr, will collaborate with Waymo on the development of a new electric vehicle for deployment in the Waymo One autonomous ride-hailing fleet in the US.

The new purpose-built mobility vehicle is being designed and developed at Zeekr’s facility in Gothenburg, Sweden which is central to the research and development of models for the wider Geely Holding Group, including brands such as Volvo.

Under this collaboration, Zeekr will be designing and developing the future vehicle on a new proprietary and open-source mobility architecture. Waymo will take delivery of the vehicles in the US and then integrate its fully autonomous Waymo Driver into the vehicle platform.

The new vehicle will be designed to be rider-centric from the outset. It will come with a fully configurable cabin, both with and without driver controls, that can be tailored towards rider requirements for the Waymo One unmanned ride-hailing fleet in the US.

Zeekr was founded in early 2021 as a global technology-mobility brand with design and engineering resources in Sweden. The first model from Zeekr, the 001, was introduced in April 2021 with deliveries starting in October. “Zeekr was born on the ideals of equality, diversity, and sustainability,” said Andy An, its CEO.

“By becoming a strategic partner and vehicle supplier to the Waymo One fleet, we will be able to share our experience, ideals and provide our expertise in collaborating on a fully electric vehicle that fits Waymo’s requirements for this rapidly expanding segment in the global market for sustainable travel.”