Waymo's newest robotaxi is Chinese-made, built to make money, and now accepting riders

Key Points:

• Waymo has begun offering select riders in Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Francisco free rides in its new all-electric, minivan-style robotaxi called the Ojai, designed to be cost-effective and durable for heavy use.
• The Ojai, developed in partnership with Zeekr (owned by China's Geely Holdings), features Waymo's sixth-generation autonomous system and is based on Zeekr's SEA-M architecture, aimed at future mobility solutions.
• This launch follows extensive testing and comes amid recent service suspensions in several cities due to operational challenges, with the new vehicle intended to help Waymo scale its fleet and improve revenue generation.
• The minivan includes rider-friendly features such as low step-in height, spacious interior, adaptive screens, and accessibility options, alongside design improvements for easier maintenance, faster charging, and cost reduction.
• Waymo plans to expand access to the Ojai and increase production capacity to tens of thousands of units annually, with future deployment also involving the Hyundai Ioniq 5 equipped with the same modular autonomous system.