USA’s New Tariffs Could Hit Waymo’s Chinese-Built Robotaxis

While the Biden administration is enforcing new tariffs on BEVs manufactured in China to protect the local car industry, Waymo could also be affected.

Alphabet’s autonomous-driving technology company will source robotaxis it co-designed with Geely-owned Zeekr. The vehicle, still in its development stages, is currently known as the M-Vision and has been created for the sole purpose of ride-sharing. It’s underpinned by Geely’s SEA-M platform, a revised version of the Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA) used by various Volvo, Polestar, Lotus, and Smart vehicles.

Read: Geely’s Zeekr Shows Us More Of Its Waymo Robotaxi

President Biden will impose a 102.5% tariff on electric vehicles imported from China and given that Zeekr only builds vehicles in China, the Waymo robotaxi could be hit with these tariffs.

While recently speaking with Auto News, a Waymo spokesperson said the first is “monitoring the China tariff situation closely.”

Waymo has started receiving a small number of Zeekr robotaxis in the U.S. and is testing them in San Francisco. It’s unclear how many Zeekr robotaxis Waymo is buying, but regardless of the number, the US government’s latest move will impact Waymo’s bottom line. Will the tariffs force the company to rethink its Zeekr deal or perhaps encourage Zeekr to build the robotaxi in a “U.S.-friendly” country like Mexico and then import it into the States?

Technical specifications about the robotaxi aren’t known but it’s believed to use an 800-volt electrical architecture and may borrow its electric motors from the 007 sedan. The M-Vision concept shown by Zeekr had sliding front and rear doors like a minivan to improve ingress and egress for passengers. It also had a spacious interior and a completely flat floor, making it ideal for taxi services.