Waymo has started giving a limited number of riders access to its next-generation robotaxi, and there is an interesting wrinkle in where it comes from. The vehicle, a minivan-style ride Waymo calls the Ojai, is built on a chassis from the Chinese maker Zeekr. As of 28 May it is accepting select riders in Los Angeles, Phoenix and San Francisco.

What is happening

For now, Waymo is offering a small group of customers free rides in the Ojai to gather feedback and refine the experience before a wider rollout. The framing from the company is blunt and a little unusual for this industry: the Ojai is described as built to make money. After years of robotaxis being a costly science project, the talk has shifted to unit economics — whether each ride can actually turn a profit.

The Chinese-built part

A Chinese-made vehicle carrying passengers on American streets is the detail that will draw attention beyond the tech press. Waymo first began deploying the Ojai earlier in the year, per CNBC, and the choice reflects a simple reality: China makes electric vehicles well and cheaply. With US-China trade tension a constant backdrop, expect the sourcing to be a talking point, even as Waymo runs its own self-driving software on top.

The bigger picture

This comes as Waymo widens its map. In mid-May it grew its service area to more than 1,400 square miles across 11 US cities, per Electrek. A cheaper, purpose-built vehicle is the next lever, since the cost of the car is a big part of what has kept robotaxis from scaling. For riders, the near-term reality is simpler: in a handful of cities, a driverless minivan might now pull up, and the badge on it was made in China.