AUTONEWS

Waymo and China's Geely present new generation of unmanned taxis

It is no secret that Chinese automakers and tech companies are trying to test unmanned taxis no less actively than Western competitors, but in the case of the alliance between Chinese auto giant Geely and American Waymo, the result of the cooperation was a specialized taxi without the usual controls, which in the future will replace the modified versions of the serial machines, still operated by a subsidiary of the Alphabet holding company.

At an event in Los Angeles, according to The Verge, Waymo presented a new generation of unmanned taxis, which was created in collaboration with the Chinese brand Geely's ZEEKR. So far, Waymo has relied on small two-seater prototypes that were retired in 2017 or modified versions of production Chrysler Pacifica minivans and Jaguar i-Pace electric crossovers to test autonomous vehicles. In cooperation with the ZEEKR brand, a special vehicle has been created that will work exactly like an unmanned taxi, as there are no steering wheels or pedals in the passenger compartment and there are no rear-view mirrors on the side surfaces of the bodywork, as they are replaced by cameras.

In its layout, the car resembles a minivan, in the prototype the front doors move to the side, as in tourist buses, moving on curved levers. The rear doors are sliding and there is no B-pillar, which makes the door huge and very convenient for boarding and disembarking passengers. The front panel is devoid of controls except for the display in the center console and therefore has a symmetrical design. For rear row passengers, separate monitors are provided in the headrests of the front row seats. The front seats are equipped with electric drives and charging ports for passengers' mobile devices. The interior is decorated with easy-to-clean materials and a pleasant tactile texture.

Last week, Geely independently unveiled the ZEEKR SEA-M electric minivan, which has an identical look and feel and the ability to move without recharging in urban modes for 16 hours. This car will enter the series no earlier than 2024, so it's unlikely that Waymo will have to rely on faster usage of such minivans in its fleet. The dimensions of the prototype are also mentioned: at 4.7 meters long, the body is 1.8 meters wide and the wheelbase reaches almost three meters. An electric car needs 10 meters to go around. On the roof of the car is a separate unit with a lidar, which also acts as a beacon, allowing taxi customers to see the oncoming car from afar. In the corners of the body are cameras and other sensors that allow you to implement the autonomous driving function.

When these taxis appear on US streets will largely depend on legislators, who must allow cars to operate without the usual controls on public roads. Until now, in some territories, local authorities have allowed the commercial operation of taxis without a safety driver behind the wheel, but these machines have the usual controls.

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