Waymo’s plan to flood US cities with Chinese-made robotaxis sparks national security fears over ties to Beijing

DAILYMAIL.COM • 2h ago

By SARA MCGIFF, US REAL ESTATE & CONSUMER REPORTER Updated: 04:13 20 Oct 2026

Waymo has ordered thousands of Chinese-made vehicles as it races to flood American cities with futuristic driverless taxis – raising fears over potential spying and national security risks.

The Google parent company Alphabet’s self-driving car subsidiary is on track to import around 5,100 of its new Ojai robotaxis by the end of 2026, according to tracking data from research firm MoffettNathanson obtained by the New York Post.

The powder-blue vehicles are manufactured by Chinese automaker Zeekr, a subsidiary of Geely Holding Group, before being shipped to the US for conversion into autonomous taxis.

But the deal has raised questions about the risks of putting Chinese-made vehicles on American roads as Washington tightens restrictions on connected-car technology linked to China.

In May 2024, Senator Rick Scott of Florida urged the Securities and Exchange Commission to investigate Zeekr after it began trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

In a letter to then-SEC chairman Gary Gensler, Scott questioned the company’s potential ties to the Chinese Communist Party, its supply chains and whether it received Chinese government support.

He also raised concerns about protections for American investors. His letter requested an investigation but did not establish wrongdoing.

Waymo installs its own sensors and self-driving technology at a facility in Arizona. The company has said the vehicles comply with US rules governing connected-car technology.

The Ojai has already rolled out in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Phoenix, with Denver, Las Vegas and San Diego among the next cities targeted for expansion.

Waymo’s decision to work with Zeekr dates back to 2019, when the company said American manufacturers were reluctant to supply vehicles for its autonomous-driving project.

But critics fear Chinese-made vehicles could create security vulnerabilities and threaten American automakers.

Missy Cummings, a former senior safety adviser at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and director of George Mason University’s Autonomy and Robotics Center, questioned whether Waymo’s assurances about the vehicles’ Chinese components were sufficient.

She told the New York Post she would need to inspect the vehicles herself to establish whether their physical construction was entirely free of Chinese technology.

Waymo says its vehicles undergo rigorous security testing and that it does not share riders’ personal information or vehicle data with manufacturers.

The company also says it does not share its source code, algorithms or artificial intelligence models with Zeekr.

The controversy comes as Washington moves to restrict Chinese involvement in the American connected-vehicle market.

Commerce Department rules are set to prohibit the import or sale of certain connected vehicles and self-driving software linked to China or Russia beginning with the 2027 model year.

Separate legislation under consideration in Congress would further restrict Chinese-manufactured vehicles, with proposals reportedly including a three-year transition period for companies such as Waymo.

Senator Bernie Moreno of Ohio has been among those pushing for tougher restrictions, warning that Chinese vehicles could undermine American manufacturers and workers.

Waymo, meanwhile, has said it supports the Commerce Department’s connected-vehicle rules and legislative efforts to address national security concerns.

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