Waymo, an Alphabet company, has introduced its next-generation robotaxi, the Ojai, to all customers in Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Francisco. This move is part of the company's strategy to expand its fleet with vehicles that are more economical to build, operate, and maintain.
Customers in these cities may be assigned an Ojai when hailing a ride. Waymo plans to allow riders to choose between the new Ojai and the older Jaguar I-Pace robotaxi once more Ojais are integrated into its fleet. Currently, Waymo's commercial fleet includes about 300 Ojai robotaxis.
The company announced on Wednesday that it intends to roll out the Ojai in Denver, Las Vegas, and San Diego later this year. The Ojai is equipped with Waymo's sixth-generation self-driving system and features a redesigned user interface, along with Google's Gemini AI as an in-car assistant.
The Ojai is a minivan manufactured by Zeekr, a brand under China's Geely Holding Group. Waymo partnered with Zeekr in 2021, and the vehicles are built on Zeekr's SEA-M platform. After arriving in the U.S., the base Zeekr vehicles are outfitted with Waymo's self-driving system at its Arizona factory.
Despite the Ojai's design goals for cost-effectiveness, import tariffs on vehicles built in China have increased Waymo's expenses. Research firm MoffettNathanson projects that Waymo is on track to bring 5,000 Ojai vehicles to the United States by the end of 2026, which would more than double Waymo's existing Jaguar fleet.