Google’s order for thousands of cars for its Waymo taxi service has left many in the US government worried

​Google’s Waymo has ordered thousands of vehicles built in China. The Alphabet-owned robotaxi company plans to import electric vans made by Zeekr, a brand of China’s Geely Holding Group, as it expands its driverless taxi service across the US. Waymo is reportedly on track to import about 5,100 vehicles by the end of 2026, more than doubling a fleet that has largely relied on Jaguar I-Pace SUVs.​According to a New York Post report, the arrangement has worried US lawmakers and safety experts because the vehicles come from China while operating cameras, sensors, and autonomous systems on American roads. Waymo says the imported vehicles contain no Chinese connected-car technology and receive their software and sensors in Arizona.​Why lawmakers are concerned about Waymo’s vehicles​Waymo has renamed the Zeekr vehicle Ojai. The vans are already operating in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Phoenix, and the company is expanding their use to additional cities.​The company says it imports only the physical vehicle and installs its American-developed autonomous-driving equipment at its Arizona facility. However, former National Highway Traffic Safety Administration adviser Missy Cummings said the vehicles would need inspection before they could independently verify their components.​“I would have to get in and look at the physical construction of the car to know that that’s absolutely true,” Cummings said. “It’s very possible that the Chinese have layered in other sensors that are recording data and sending it back to China.”​Waymo rejected that concern, saying its vehicles undergo security testing and that it does not provide Zeekr with rider information, vehicle telemetry, source code, or data collected by its autonomous-driving system.​How the US government could affect Waymo’s expansion​US Commerce Department rules already restrict connected-vehicle software associated with China or Russia beginning with model-year 2027 vehicles. Restrictions on certain connected hardware are scheduled to apply from model year 2030.​Waymo says its arrangement complies with those rules because the Chinese-built vehicles arrive without the prohibited connected technology. A bipartisan proposal in Congress would close that opening by restricting vehicles manufactured in China, regardless of where their software and sensors are installed.Senators Bernie Moreno and Elissa Slotkin introduced the Connected Vehicle Security Act of 2026. House China Select Committee Chairman John Moolenaar introduced companion legislation.​Moolenaar previously warned that “hidden malware could disable fleets of cars and trucks or turn them into battering rams on wheels.”​The bill would give Waymo three years to phase out affected Chinese-built vehicles, requiring compliance by 2030. Although it advanced through a Senate committee, broader consideration was delayed until after the November elections.​What Waymo says about the security risk​Waymo said it supports restrictions targeting foreign connected-vehicle technology and takes steps to comply with federal requirements.​“For any base vehicle Waymo uses, Waymo actively takes steps to ensure that they are in compliance with the government’s connected vehicle rules. Additionally, Waymo does not share personally identifiable information about Waymo riders, Waymo vehicle telemetry data, or data collected through Waymo’s automated driving system with vehicle manufacturers,” a company spokesperson said.​​You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.