Waymo Unveils Plans For A Robotaxi That Drives Without A Steering Wheel

Autonomous vehicle pioneer Waymo has unveiled its design plans for a self-driving robotaxi that won’t have a steering wheel or pedals. 

The company announced it is teaming up with Chinese automaker Geely to make this vision a reality—which will come in the form of a Zeekr minivan comprising solely passenger seats. The all-electric vehicle will be developed in Gothenburg, Sweden, before Waymo adds it to its lineup for sale “in the years to come.” 

According to Digital Trends, while Waymo is keen to add the Zeekr to its current fleet of autonomous cars that are being tested on public roads, it has to gain the approval of safety regulators before the project can go ahead.

In fact, the site noted that the minivan won’t be the company’s first vehicle to be without a steering wheel. When the automaker first started seven years ago, it had designed the Firefly, a tiny pod vehicle to test the early iterations of its self-driving software. In 2017, the firm retired the car to focus on larger, road-ready vehicles. 

As per a blog post announcing the minivan, the firm said the new design will feature “a flat floor for more accessible entry, easy ingress and egress thanks to a B-pillarless design, low step-in height, generous head and legroom, and full adjustable seats.” 

More intriguingly, passengers in the Zeekr will experience “an interior without steering wheel and pedals,” which frees up space for amenities including reclining seats, bigger screens, charging ports, and an “easy to configure and comfortable vehicle cabin.” 

Despite it not being certain that this project will ever be green-lighted to go onto the roads, it’s nonetheless a creative, out-of-the-box idea that will certainly catch the attention of drivers worldwide.

[via Digital Trends, images via Waymo]