Waymo, the self-driving car unit owned by Alphabet, is importing more than 5,000 electric vehicles built in China as part of a rapid expansion of its robotaxi fleet, raising concerns among U.S. lawmakers about potential national security risks and fair market competition.

The vehicles in question are the Ojai vans, which are rebranded versions of models produced by Zeekr, a subsidiary of Geely Holding Group—a company linked to the Chinese Communist Party. According to industry analysts at MoffettNathanson, Waymo plans to import approximately 5,100 of these vans by the end of 2026, effectively more than doubling its existing fleet. Previously, Waymo’s fleet primarily consisted of Jaguar I-Pace SUVs imported from Austria and retrofitted with its autonomous driving technology at facilities in Arizona.

The move comes amid evolving U.S. regulatory efforts to restrict the import and sale of certain connected and self-driving vehicle components sourced from China and Russia. The Department of Commerce has announced a ban on importing or selling vehicles equipped with connected technologies or autonomous driving software from these countries, starting with the 2027 model year. Additional restrictions on connected hardware are scheduled to take effect starting with model year 2030. Legislation to formalize these prohibitions is currently under consideration in both houses of Congress.

Waymo asserts that it complies with federal regulations by sourcing only the vehicle chassis from Zeekr while integrating its proprietary sensors and self-driving software separately. The company states that it does not share data collected from U.S. consumers with Zeekr or transfer its source code, algorithms, or artificial intelligence models.

Despite these assurances, some experts and lawmakers remain skeptical. Missy Cummings, director of George Mason University’s Autonomy and Robotics Center and a former senior safety adviser at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, has expressed doubts about the extent to which the Chinese-made chassis are free of embedded technologies that might transmit data overseas. Cummings highlighted the difficulty of verifying the physical construct of the vehicles without direct inspection and warned that “layered sensors” could potentially record and send data to China.

Congressional concerns are heightened by recent revelations that COSCO, a Chinese shipping company, allegedly used concealed equipment on its vessels to spy on U.S. military communications. In response, Senators Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) and Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) have introduced legislation that would prohibit the import of any vehicle manufactured in China, regardless of modifications or software additions made by U.S. firms.

Waymo’s spokesperson explained that the decision to source vehicles from Zeekr dates back to 2019, when domestic manufacturers were hesitant to partner due to competing autonomous driving initiatives. This left Waymo with limited options to maintain fleet expansion schedules, despite high tariffs—currently around 127.5%—on Chinese-built vehicles. Industry estimates suggest Waymo’s cost to produce an Ojai robotaxi ranges between $98,000 and $115,000, significantly lower than the roughly $200,000 cost associated with outfitting a Jaguar I-Pace for autonomous operation.

With regulatory and security debates intensifying, Waymo’s import strategy underscores broader tensions as U.S. policymakers balance technological innovation, national security, and economic competition in the electric and autonomous vehicle sectors.