Waymo partners with Geely to develop new EV

Alphabet subsidiary Waymo has teamed up with Chinese automaker Geely to develop its latest self-driving electric vehicle. This EV, which will be released under the Zeekr brand, will not have a built-in steering wheel or pedals.

Waymo made the announcement on its blog page designating Geely Holding Group as one of its original equipment manufacturers for its next EVs. That vehicle is being developed by Geely’s premium electric sub-brand Zeekr in Sweden. The Zeekr vehicle will be used in the Waymo One autonomous taxi service, which the company operates in the American city of Phoenix, in the western United States.

The EV will provide customers with more head and legroom, a more accessible doorway for entry and exit, and fully adjustable seats, Waymo said. It will have no steering wheel and no pedals and, according to Waymo, would still meet the safety standards for vehicles of the US government. Waymo didn’t list any other technical specs about the vehicle for now.

It is not the first time that Waymo has partnered with other car manufacturers. The Alphabet subsidiary has previously worked with Renault, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Fiat Chrysler, Volvo and Daimler, among others.