(Yicai Global) Dec. 29 -- Google is enlisting the electric car arm of China’s Geely Automobile Holdings to make self-driving vehicles for the US tech behemoth’s autonomous ride-hailing unit Waymo, Geely said today.

Zeekr will design and make the electric cars at its facility in Gothenburg, Sweden and will later integrate Waymo’s driverless technologies, the Hangzhou-based parent firm said.

Waymo is leading the pack in the race to commercialize self-driving autos. It is already runs a fleet of robotaxis in Phoenix, Arizona that has been used by tens of thousands of people.

Consumers are starting to pay more attention to providers when it comes to autonomous driving, an industry insider told Yicai Global. Before they used to focus on brands, then performance, then price.

“In the era of unmanned driving, brands matter little while technology counts a lot,” the person said. “People care more about the reliability of Robotaxis such as their safety record, not whether the vehicles are from the US, Germany or China.”

Editor: Kim Taylor