Zeekr to design autonomous ride-hailing car for Waymo

The Google company Waymo, which specialises in self-driving cars for ride-hailing, is turning to Geely-owned Zeekr for help with a new pure electric, autonomous vehicle. The model is being designed and developed at Zeekr’s R&D facility in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Three rendered images of the autonomous EV have already been released, showing a large pod-like car with a clean and simple exterior as well as a roomy and functional interior. Its general shape is not dissimilar to the Chrysler Pacifica – one the models Waymo currently retrofits with sensors like lidar and radar to enable self-driving capabilities, alongside the Jaguar I-Pace. However, the new EV is infinitely more modern.

On the outside, the large body panels are kept smooth and unadorned. They stretch down to the floor, minimising ground clearance and eliminating traditional components like skirts, and push up to meet the windows almost seamlessly. The face consists of a glossy black upper mask, in which the simple rectangular headlights are embedded, and a narrow air intake at the bottom. There are currently no images of the rear, but there appears to be very little overhang and a large body panel that stems from the back wheel and joins the roof, creating a chunky and box-like shape.

The doors slide open in opposite directions, maximising room for entry and egress, as does the omission of the B-pillars. A flat floor and minimalist furniture amplify space. There is no centre console, and the tiered IP features a single floating touchscreen. The same speckled grey fabric that covers the seats is used on sections of the IP and doors, while hard black plastic is included for other surfaces along with a grey plastic sheet on the floor to make it easy to clean. The headliner is a lighter shade of grey, cladded in a soft fabric and interrupted only by two narrow overhead lighting strips.

Everything is kept clean and minimal. There are hardly any buttons and switches, and no steering wheel, control device, or pedals. But Waymo points to the fact that these images are initial renderings, and that the “actual design will reflect standards applicable to the vehicle at time of manufacture.”

Zeekr’s introduction to the autonomous pod-like space comes as quite the surprise. The marque made its debut at the 2021 Shanghai Auto Show with its 001 – a sporty electric coupe that was designed to meet the mandate “no more boring EVs”. Geely also stated that it had set up the brand in order to “satisfy the global demand for premium electric vehicles.” But an autonomous ride-hailing vehicle will need to use a modular and cheap design to ensure profitability.

In 2019, CDN spoke with YooJung Ahn, Waymo’s head of design, about the integration of self-driving technology into existing platforms and its design implications.