Waymo Says Its Next-Gen Ojai Robotaxis Are Ready For Prime Time

Waymo is introducing its next-generation Ojai robotaxi for public rides in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix through a free initial program before paid rides begin. The electric vans are built by Zeekr and retrofitted with Waymo’s proprietary hardware and software. The Ojai is designed to be more accessible and roomier, with a low step, flat floor, and elevator-style sliding doors for easier entry and exit. The cabin includes large windows, three interior screens for customizing climate and audio, and embedded braille plus screen-reader compatibility integrated into seat handles. Waymo says the Ojai improves ride experience and performance in tricky weather and will use sixth-generation autonomous driving technology with fewer sensors, including 13 cameras.

"Waymo announced Thursday that it is officially introducing its next-generation Ojai robotaxi to the public. The large, light blue electric vans will launch soon in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix as part of a free initial program before paid rides begin. While the current Jaguar I-Pace crossovers will continue to be in service, the Ojai should offer an improved ride experience and better performance in tricky weather, according to the company."

"Waymo said the Ojai has a low step and a flat floor, with elevator-style sliding doors for easy ingress and egress. It also has a roomy cabin with large windows enabling expansive outside views. They will also be more accessible, with embedded braille and screen-reader compatibility integrated into the seat handles."

"It will have three screens inside, one at the front and two at the back allowing riders to customize things like climate and audio. The race to deploy autonomous ride-hail vehicles is heating up in the U.S., with several players such as Zoox, Tesla, and Uber gearing up to grow their robotaxi footprint."

"To aid the company's ambitions, the Ojai will debut Waymo's sixth-generation autonomous driving technology, which uses fewer sensors. It has 13 cameras, and Waymo's expansion has been the most successful so far, with its robotaxis now operational in 11 U.S. cities with over half a million paid weekly rides. It plans to expand to 20 more cities in the coming months."

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