Electric Cars

Waymo has now made its latest Ojai robotaxi service accessible to all passengers across San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix. This advanced self-driving vehicle, which is produced in China by Zeekr, represents a unique opportunity for Americans to experience a Chinese-manufactured electric vehicle, despite current restrictions on purchasing such cars directly. The Ojai was initially introduced on May 28 for exclusive early access trials, but its recent public launch signifies Waymo's transition to full commercial operation for this innovative platform.

The Ojai's core vehicle is supplied by Zeekr, a premium electric vehicle division of China's Geely Holding Group, utilizing the SEA-M platform with a body designed in Sweden. Despite facing a 127.5% tariff on Chinese electric vehicles in the U.S. market, Waymo has strategically imported over 3,200 Zeekr vehicles since 2024, with a significant portion arriving in 2026. The financial viability of this approach stems from the Ojai's affordable base price, which helps offset the tariffs, and the substantial cost savings compared to the Jaguar I-PACE models it replaces, especially after Waymo integrates its proprietary sensor and computing systems. To comply with U.S. regulations, the Zeekr vehicles arrive without Chinese connectivity hardware, allowing Waymo to install its domestically designed technology and conduct final assembly in Arizona.

Designed specifically for autonomous driving, the Ojai features a spacious, van-style interior with a flat floor, low entry height, and wide "elevator-like" doors. The cabin emphasizes passenger comfort with ample legroom and headroom, three adaptive screens for navigation, entertainment, and climate control, alongside practical amenities like charging ports and cup holders, all with accessibility in mind. The vehicle is equipped with Waymo's sixth-generation Driver system, which incorporates 13 cameras, four lidars, and six radar units. This system boasts a 42% reduction in sensor count compared to its predecessor, driving down hardware costs to less than $20,000 per vehicle and making large-scale deployment more economically feasible. Waymo is rapidly expanding its Ojai fleet, with nearly a thousand units already at its Arizona facility, poised to enhance its existing fleet of approximately 3,700 Jaguar I-PACE vehicles. This expansion is part of Waymo's larger goal to scale its operations and reach 1 million weekly rides, further supported by the introduction of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 as another robotaxi platform. Additionally, new features like Gemini in Waymo and a redesigned rider application have been rolled out, with Ojai services soon extending to Denver, San Diego, and Las Vegas.

Waymo's strategic deployment of the Zeekr Ojai robotaxi in the U.S. highlights a fascinating interplay of global supply chains and technological innovation. By integrating a cost-effective, purpose-built vehicle from China with its advanced autonomous driving technology, Waymo is not only navigating complex trade policies but also demonstrating a viable path toward making self-driving services more accessible and affordable. This move underscores the imperative for adaptability and ingenuity in the pursuit of future mobility solutions, emphasizing that collaboration and strategic partnerships can overcome geographical and economic hurdles to deliver progress and enhance daily life through safer, more efficient transportation.

Geely is on the cusp of introducing a revolutionary solid-state electric vehicle battery, projected to achieve an extraordinary energy density of 500 Wh/kg. This advancement could fundamentally alter the landscape of electric transportation, offering unprecedented range and efficiency. The company is actively testing these advanced cells in real-world conditions, with plans to initiate a pilot deployment across its diverse portfolio of brands by 2027. This innovative battery technology stands to double the energy capacity per kilogram compared to the best lithium-ion batteries currently available in electric vehicles, signaling a monumental leap forward in battery development.

The significance of a 500 Wh/kg energy density cannot be overstated. Current leading high-nickel NMC cells in production electric vehicles typically offer between 250 to 300 Wh/kg at the cell level, while LFP cells, common in more affordable EVs, provide even lower densities. When these cells are integrated into modules and battery packs, the overall energy density per kilogram decreases further. For instance, Zeekr's advanced "Golden Brick" LFP pack achieves approximately 128 Wh/kg at the pack level. Therefore, Geely's proposed 500 Wh/kg solid-state cell represents not just an incremental improvement, but a doubling of energy density, a feat that would redefine electric vehicle performance metrics.

Such a substantial increase in energy density holds profound implications for electric vehicle design and capabilities. Manufacturers could either maintain the current range while effectively halving the battery's weight, or keep the battery weight constant and drastically extend the vehicle's range. A lighter battery pack, in turn, allows for a lighter overall vehicle, reducing the need for heavy structural components and potentially requiring less battery capacity to achieve desired performance benchmarks. This cascading effect would lead to more efficient and agile electric vehicles. Geely’s strategic focus is on leveraging this technology to achieve extended range, asserting that vehicles equipped with these cells will boast a driving distance comparable to diesel-powered cars, exceeding 1,000 km on a single charge, along with an impressive lifespan of up to 1 million km.

This pioneering battery development is spearheaded by Geely Holding, the parent company overseeing a consortium of automotive brands including Geely, Zeekr, Lynk & Co, Volvo, Polestar, Lotus, and Smart. Real-world validation began in 2026, with the pilot deployment across these brands scheduled for 2027. Geely has also partnered with Dow Chemical, which has developed a specialized adhesive for these solid-state cells, capable of maintaining stability across extreme temperatures ranging from –40 °C to 120 °C. This partnership addresses one of the critical challenges in solid-state battery chemistry—temperature stability—underscoring the practicality and robustness of Geely’s approach. This initiative builds upon Geely's earlier commitment in January to produce its first in-house solid-state pack for testing on an existing EV platform, with the 500 Wh/kg target marking the next ambitious phase of this program.

While the prospect of a pilot deployment in 2027 is exciting, it is crucial to distinguish this from mass market availability. A pilot production line confirms the ability to consistently manufacture cells in low volumes, but scaling up to mass production at a cost viable for consumer vehicles, such as a $30,000 car, presents a distinct set of challenges. Geely has yet to announce a timeline for mass production. Furthermore, specific details regarding the battery's chemistry, such as whether it employs a sulfide or oxide electrolyte or the nature of its anode, remain undisclosed. Inconsistencies also exist in Geely’s internal communications regarding whether the 500 Wh/kg figure pertains to the cell level or the pack level, and independent data verifying the million-kilometer cycle life claim is still pending. Geely is not alone in targeting the 2027-2028 timeframe for solid-state battery pilots; other major industry players like CATL, BYD, and Toyota are also aiming for similar milestones, suggesting a competitive race towards this next-generation battery technology.

The arrival of a durable and economically viable 500 Wh/kg cell, whether from Geely, CATL, or another innovator, promises to fundamentally redefine the capabilities of electric vehicles. This breakthrough would enable either 1,000 km of range or significantly lighter vehicles with comparable range, marking the kind of transformative leap necessary for widespread electric adoption across all forms of ground transportation. Despite previous disappointments in solid-state battery development, the current pace of innovation suggests that a new era for EV batteries is rapidly approaching. There is a palpable sense of cautious optimism that these advancements will soon move beyond pilot projects and into mainstream application.