Waymo Is Importing 5,100 China-Built Robotaxis, and Congress Wants to Close the Door

Waymo's next wave of robotaxis is built in China. The Alphabet unit is on pace to import about 5,100 Zeekr-made "Ojai" vehicles by the end of 2026, more than doubling its fleet, the New York Post reported on Monday, Oct. 19, 2026, citing tracking data from research firm MoffettNathanson. The vans run in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Phoenix today.

How Waymo says it stays legal

The Commerce Department's connected-vehicle rule bans the import or sale of China- or Russia-made connected vehicles and self-driving software starting with model year 2027, with a hardware ban following for model year 2030. Waymo told the Post it buys only the physical vehicle from Zeekr, a unit of China's Geely, and adds its own sensors and software at its plant in Arizona.

A Waymo spokesperson said the company "strongly supports" the rule and does not share rider data, vehicle telemetry or data from its driving system with vehicle makers, and does not license its software or source code to Zeekr. Waymo said its Zeekr sourcing dates back to 2019, when U.S. automakers were reluctant to work with it.

The bill that would close the gap

Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) and Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) are co-sponsoring a bill that would ban the import of any vehicle made in China, even if a U.S. company adds its own software and sensors later. House China Select Committee Chair John Moolenaar has introduced a companion bill. Both include a three-year grace period, so Waymo would need to comply by 2030, the Post reported. DC News Line reported on Oct. 12 that the Senate version had stalled amid disagreements among senators.

Former NHTSA safety adviser Missy Cummings told the Post she would need to physically inspect the cars to be sure they carry no hidden Chinese tech. Waymo pushed back, saying every vehicle goes through rigorous security testing.

What it means for Tesla

Tesla builds its Model Y robotaxis and Cybercab in the U.S., so the rule does not touch its fleet. Investor Jason Calacanis, writing on X about Waymo's sourcing and its competition with Tesla, predicted Waymo "will buy Lucid or Rivian," Benzinga reported. That is his prediction, not a reported deal. Waymo is also expanding abroad; see our story on Waymo's Madrid launch plan and the D.C. robotaxi bill.