New Waymo robotaxis Ojai better suited for bad weather

Waymo has expanded its fleet of robotaxis with the 6th generation of autonomous vehicles. The Ojai robotaxis are based on minivans from the Chinese car manufacturer Zeekr, a subsidiary of Geely. Technically, the cars are equipped with improved cameras, lidar, and radar, which should primarily benefit safety when driving in adverse weather conditions. This is necessary for Waymo's planned expansion both in the northeastern United States and internationally. At the same time, costs are being reduced.

The subsidiary of the Google group Alphabet had already announced this in the summer of 2024. The new Waymo robotaxis require fewer cameras and radars and are based on electric cars from the Zeekr brand of the Chinese company Geely. Currently, Waymo is using modified vehicles of the also battery-powered Jaguar iPace model. However, these will not be replaced; the robotaxi fleet will be expanded with the minivans called Ojai.

Better technology for rain, ice, and snow

The new Ojai robotaxis have been particularly improved in their camera system, writes Waymo. The resolution of the main camera has been increased to 17 megapixels; previously, 5- or 8-megapixel sensors were used. In addition, light sensitivity has been improved so that the image processing system should be more likely to notice people dressed in dark clothing on the road, even in poor lighting conditions. This is also useful in rain or snow. Waymo also integrates “cleaning systems to maintain visibility.” Given the better cameras, Waymo has simultaneously reduced the number, which reduces costs.

In addition, the lidar and radar systems of the robotaxis have also been improved, with Waymo also benefiting from the reduced costs, especially for laser-based technology. Optimizations in these areas are also intended to help in adverse weather conditions. Furthermore, “performance in rain or snow is to be improved through the use of new, internally developed algorithms.” Less known is that the robotaxis also have microphones to detect and locate the sirens of emergency services early, even if the vehicles are not yet visible.

Driving in bad weather is becoming important for Waymo's expansion plans, as the operator announced just last week that it will also offer its autonomous taxi service in Boston in the northeastern United States in the future, one of the snowiest major cities in the USA. However, the state of Massachusetts must first legalize fully autonomous vehicles. The accelerated global expansion also includes Tokyo, where snow is also expected in winter. So far, Waymo has been operating primarily in snow-free cities in the USA, namely Austin, Atlanta, Phoenix, and Miami, as well as in Los Angeles and San Francisco, where the first Ojai robotaxis are now starting operations.

Criticism of China-based Waymo downplays

However, the Chinese base of the new Waymo robotaxis has already triggered political concerns within the USA. Just last week, there was a Senate hearing on the future of self-driving cars, where Republican Senator Bernie Moreno said to Waymo's head of safety, “We are in a race with China, but it seems like you are partnering with China.”

Waymo spokesperson Sandy Karp, however, rejected this to CNBC. Waymo will not grant Zeekr “access to its highly protected autonomous driving technology, sensor data, or driver information.” The Chinese car manufacturer is merely providing the “base vehicles,” and Waymo installs the autonomous driving technology in the cars within the USA. In addition to the Zeekr minivans, the technology will also be installed in the Hyundai Ioniq 5 in the future.

(fds)