Waymo Opens Ojai Robotaxi to Riders in SF, LA, Phoenix
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- Waymo launched its 'Ojai' robotaxi (a rebranded Zeekr RT minivan) to non-employee 'select riders' in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix, with free trips initially as the company collects passenger-experience data.
- Ojai debuts Waymo's sixth-generation autonomous system, which uses fewer sensors than the outgoing Jaguar I-Pace fleet — a fifth-gen vehicle first rolled out in March 2020 and discontinued by Jaguar at the end of 2024.
- Geely partnered with Waymo to design the purpose-built vehicle; Geely owns Volvo, Lotus, and Polestar, and the imported Zeekrs have been stripped of connected software to sidestep U.S. restrictions on Chinese-vehicle software imports.
- Ojai features an accessible cabin with a flat floor, low-step height, braille instructions, grab bars, three large screens, charge ports, cupholders, and space for up to four passengers.
- Waymo says the sixth-gen system is built for 'high-volume production' — 'tens of thousands of units a year' — with more powerful cameras, improved lidar, and radar tuned for extreme weather.
- Waymo suspended freeway driving across all of its cities over construction-zone concerns, weeks after issuing a fleet-wide software recall when its robotaxis were spotted driving through flooded Texas roads at elevated speeds.
Why it matters: Waymo opens its sixth-gen Ojai robotaxi to public riders in SF, LA, and Phoenix — targeting 'tens of thousands' of vehicles a year for high-volume production. The Chinese-built Zeekr with stripped software clears U.S. import rules, but the launch coincides with a software recall and freeway suspension triggered by flooded-road and construction-zone incidents.
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