Waymo will start offering free rides to the public in its new Ojai autonomous minivans in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Phoenix. The vehicles are pale blue, sensor-studded, and include steering wheels even though they are designed to operate without drivers. Rides can be summoned through the Waymo app. The Ojai program follows years of development, with initial announcements in 2021 and public street testing beginning in 2024. The company has recently paused service in six US cities due to flooding-related behavior and suspended highway driving near construction zones. Ojai introduces Waymo’s newest hardware and software system, combining cameras, lidar, and radar with AI breakthroughs to enable long-term growth across multiple vehicle platforms.
"Starting today, Alphabet self-driving vehicle developer Waymo will start picking up members of the public in its new Ojai vehicles (pronounced "oh hai")-pale blue boxy minivans studded with sensors and complete with steering wheels, even though they're designed to travel without drivers. For now, the rides in these new cars, which can be summoned through Waymo's app, will be free."
"It's been a long road for the vehicle, first announced by Waymo in 2021 and tested on public streets since 2024. It's also a weird time for Waymo: The self-driving-vehicle company, which is trying to expand quickly across the US and the world, shut down service in six US cities last week due to issues with how its vehicles react to flooding. It has also suspended its highway driving program due to concerns about operations near construction zones."
"The Ojai, though, is something new: a vehicle built specifically for autonomy. Ojai's debut also marks the introduction of Waymo's newest hardware and software system. The update, Waymo has said, "leverages breakthroughs in AI" and, like previous systems, combines inputs of three different kinds of sensors: cameras, lidar, and radar."
"Waymo seems to envision the updated tech as the driver (pun intended) behind its big expansion push. The company currently operates in 11 US markets and plans to launch its service in at least 20 different new regions, including London and Tokyo. The system is "designed for long-term growth across multiple vehicle platforms," Satish Jeyachandran,"
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