Waymo is working on a spacious robotaxi that utilizes less costly technology.

• Waymo, owned by Alphabet, has unveiled information about its latest "generation 6" autonomous technology.
• Geely Zeekr electric vehicles with new hardware and software should enable Waymo to handle a broader range of weather conditions with fewer costly cameras and sensors.
• Alphabet has recently invested $5 billion in Waymo to expand its operations in the U.S.

On Monday, Waymo, an Alphabet-owned company, unveiled details about its latest "generation 6" self-driving technology. This new driverless technology, integrated into Geely Zeekr electric vehicles, is expected to handle a broader range of weather conditions without needing as many expensive cameras and sensors on board.

Waymo's vice president of engineering, Satish Jeyachandran, stated that the team is optimistic about bringing the new robotaxis to market at a faster pace than the previous generation, thanks to recent advancements in machine learning technology and semiconductor performance.

In late 2018, Waymo launched its commercial robotaxi service in the U.S. The company had previously integrated its driverless technology into Chrysler Pacifica hybrid minivans and fully electric Jaguar I-PACE SUVs.

Waymo is expanding its existing service, Waymo One, in Sunbelt cities such as San Francisco, Phoenix, Austin, Texas, and Los Angeles, while executives share information about the upcoming robotaxis.

Waymo currently offers around 50,000 paid driverless trips weekly, mainly in San Francisco and Phoenix. In June, the company removed its waitlist and made Waymo rides accessible to all users in San Francisco. To date, Waymo has completed over 2 million trips.

In 2009, Google launched "project chauffeur" as its autonomous vehicle unit, and last month, Alphabet announced it would invest $5 billion in this unit.

Jeyachandran informed CNBC that the capital will primarily be utilized for expansion, including incorporating the new robotaxis into its fleet once Generation 6 testing and validation are completed. He stated that he expects Waymo's Jaguar I-PACE and Geely Zeekr vehicles to "coexist."

The upcoming Waymo-Zeekr is a boxier vehicle with a similar footprint to the existing Waymo I-Pace SUVs.

The Zeekr's interior may be more accessible to some riders due to its low step, high ceiling, and ample legroom between rows of seats.

Waymo has developed custom sensors and software, including lidar, radar, and others, that provide a "360 view" of obstacles for the Zeekr car's system. These sensors also have wipers to clear them of dirt and precipitation.

Waymo has reduced the number of cameras on board its robotaxis from 29 to 13 and lidar sensors from five to four in order to lower their cost. The company is currently testing generation 6 on public roads with professional drivers on board those vehicles.

Waymo is conducting testing and validation in Detroit, Buffalo, New York, and New York to analyze the performance of its driverless cars in various traffic and weather conditions.

Despite the availability of commercial robotaxi services from Didi and Pony.ai in China, Waymo faces minimal competition in the U.S. for now. In the U.S., GM-owned Cruise has experienced setbacks that temporarily removed its driverless vehicles from the road, while Uber and Ford have discontinued their earlier driverless efforts. Yet, Waymo has not yet delivered a driverless car, but plans to reveal its "dedicated robotaxi" in October.