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There is something new autonomous vehicles in the city, or in the suburbs of Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Phoenix. Starting today, self-driving car maker Alphabet That’s it will begin transporting passengers in its new Ojai (pronounced “oh hai”) vehicles—blue boxy minivans equipped with sensors and steering wheels, though they’re designed to drive without drivers. For now, rides on the new vehicles, which can be ordered through the Waymo app, will be free.
It has been a long drivewayit was first announced by Waymo in 2021 and tested on public roads from 2024. unusual time to Waymo: The self-driving car company, which is trying to rapidly expand across the US and the world, has shut down operations six US cities last week because of the problems with how its vehicles handle floods. It has happened again stopped his driving program due to concerns about work near construction areas.
WIRED breaks down what’s new and exciting about Ojai, and the challenges that power it.
Why?
For nearly a decade now, Waymo has tested and applied its self-driving technology to self-driving cars. Waymo started its operations with Chrysler Pacifica hybrid and move to all electricity Jaguar I-Pace in 2018. The Ojai, however, is something new: a car built to be autonomous.
The Ojai launch also marks the launch of new Waymo systems and software. For updates, Waymo has it he said“enables success in AI” and, like previous systems, integrates inputs from three types of sensors: cameras, lidar, and radar.
Waymo seems to be seeing updated technology as the driver (pun intended) behind its growing backlog. The company currently operates in 11 US markets and plans to launch its service in 20 new markets, including London and Tokyo. The system is “designed for long-term growth across multiple platforms,” said Satish Jeyachandran, the company’s vice president of technology. he wrote earlier this year. He said the new structure should allow the company to expand into different areas, including those with winter-historically difficult skills for robots.
About the name: Ojai is named after a hippy but upscale Ventura County town known for its arts community.
How Is This Different?
Ojai looks different from Waymos that came before it. The cabin is bigger and more legroom than the previous Jaguar, and there are washing ports and cupholders. Waymo says the car is accessible to people with disabilities thanks to its low, low-profile, and grab bars. (The cars are not wheelchair-accessible.) Waymo says the car’s cabin is easy to clean, too. The company says the vehicle’s design should speed up its performance: It runs fast and has a modular design that makes maintenance easy.
The Ojai is apparently not a normal car, and it has sensors that help it drive itself: 13 cameras, six radar systems, and four. weapon sensors.
Courtesy of Waymo
Who Made This Car?
Here’s where it gets interesting: The Ojai is a modified version of the “walking platform” developed by China’s leading electric car manufacturer. Geely. Mainly, the car shell is made by Geely sub-brand Zeekrwhich has sold cars worldwide since 2023 and is now in markets in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America. Not available in Zeekr: US markets, where Ojai vehicles will operate.
Waymo says barebones cars are manufactured in China and shipped to Waymo’s facility in Arizona, where US-built autonomous systems are added on US soil. Waymo spokeswoman Sandy Karp says the company plans to roll out tens of thousands of self-driving cars each year.
Wait—I Thought Chinese Cars Were Not Legal in the US?
This is still (sort of) true. Last January, the Biden administration he ended the restraining order Chinese and Russian connected car technology from US roads starting in 2027. At the time, the US government said that foreign connected car technology represented a national security threat; It didn’t hurt that American automakers were to be seriously threatened they are cheap and well made cars Made in China. Chinese-made cars are effectively closed to the American market and high prices.
But those restrictions don’t apply to Waymo, the company saysbecause Zeekr only makes a “basic car” and does not include telematics or connected software, which are added in the US.
However, the independent car maker has received flak from politicians for its involvement with Geely and Zeekr. At a February congressional hearing in the US, a Republican senator criticized the company for “sleeping with China.”
Regardless of how you feel about the deal, the Ojai launch should give many US drivers their first exposure to Chinese-made vehicles.
You say the ride is free?
Right now, yes. Waymo spokesperson Sandy Karp writes that the time of free the ride helps the company “collect rider feedback and continue to improve the experience.”
But there’s another reason for free rides, in California: Although Waymo is licensed to operate Ojai’s self-driving cars in the state, it’s not licensed to carry paying passengers inside. That approval is still being considered by the state regulator, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), which before approving the vehicle asked Waymo to answer questions about the company’s status. illegally drives unaccompanied minors into its vehiclesincluding its major disruption strategies and natural disasters, such as in late 2025 in San Francisco there was a power outage that disrupted Waymos across the city. The CPUC will make a decision on Ojai, as well as Waymo’s expansion in the East Bay and other areas of Southern California, by June 27, CPUC spokeswoman Terrie Prosper said.
“We’re waiting for CPUC approval to charge higher rates,” says Karp.
What’s Next in the ‘Car’ Segment of Self-Driving Cars?
Waymo plans to expand as well Hyundai Ioniq 5 models to his fleet of robotaxis. Cars are part of the deal between Hyundai and Waymo that started in 2024. The Jaguar I-Pace will be around for a while, too.
