Waymo's Newest Robotaxi Hits the Roads

Waymo has launched its newest robotaxi, the Ojai, in Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Francisco, marking a significant milestone in its commercial strategy. The Ojai is an all-electric, minivan-like vehicle designed to lower costs and handle the use and abuse of hundreds of thousands of riders.

The Ojai is based on the Zeekr-made minivan, which was designed in Sweden and features a flat floor, low step-in height, and gondola-like doors on both sides for easier entry and exit. The vehicle is equipped with Waymo's sixth-generation system, including 13 cameras, four lidar sensors, six radar units, and an array of external audio receivers. This system is the keystone to Waymo's commercial strategy, as it is designed to be modular and can be applied to multiple kinds of vehicles, including the Hyundai Ioniq 5.

A Challenging Time for Waymo

The launch of the Ojai comes amid a challenging time for Waymo, which recently suspended robotaxi service on freeways in Los Angeles, Miami, Phoenix, and San Francisco to improve how its vehicles behave in construction zones. The company also paused services in Atlanta, Georgia and San Antonio, Texas to address problems with flooding in those cities.

A Real Chance at Scale and Revenue Generation

The launch of the Ojai gives Waymo a real chance at scale and revenue generation, as it is designed to be accessible, comfortable, easy-to-maintain, and cost-effective. The company has spent nearly two years testing the prototype and later a production-intent version of the vehicle on public roads.

Waymo's Partnership with Zeekr

Waymo partnered with Zeekr, the brand owned by China's Geely Holdings, in 2021 and showed off a concept of the purpose-built robotaxi in late 2022. The Ojai is equipped with Waymo's hardware and software, but its foundation comes from Zeekr.

Features and Specifications

The Ojai has a flat floor, low step-in height, and gondola-like doors on both sides for easier entry and exit. The vehicle also features charging ports, cup holders, increased leg and head rooms, grab bars, braille above various buttons, and three large adaptive screens, where customers can access the route, change music, climate, and rider tips. It also has an easier-to-clean interior, faster charging, a modular design, and increased battery capacity.

Waymo's Fleet

The Ojai marks the beginning of a new era for Waymo's fleet, which today is about 3,700 Jaguar I-Pace vehicles. The company plans to scale toward a capacity of tens of thousands of units annually, starting with the Ojai and followed by the Hyundai Ioniq 5.