Waymo Buys Zeekr EVs at Scale for U.S. Autonomous Operations

Since 2024, Chinese automaker Zeekr has been shipping its CM1e vehicles to the U.S. via the Port of Los Angeles. To date, cumulative shipments have exceeded 3,200 units, with a planned volume of 2,600 units for 2026. While bills of lading do not list Waymo as the consignee, Zeekr has no other known partners in the U.S., strongly indicating that these vehicles are destined for Waymo. Starting in May 2024, Waymo has deployed customized Zeekr CM1e autonomous vehicles—codenamed "Ojai"—in cities including Los Angeles and San Francisco. The CM1e is positioned similarly to a family SUV, featuring a spacious interior and convenient passenger entry and exit, and is compatible with Waymo’s proprietary autonomous driving hardware system. Industry estimates previously suggested that Waymo would deploy at most around 1,000 vehicles, but current import volumes indicate a significantly larger operational footprint.