Waymo Ojai: Waymo deploys new robotaxis from Zeekr

New robotaxis for Waymo: The US ride-hailing service will also use minivans as autonomous taxis in the future. A field test has started in several US cities.

To start, the vehicles will operate in the Californian metropolises of San Francisco and Los Angeles, as well as in Phoenix, Arizona, as Waymo announced. More will be added in the coming months, including Denver, Las Vegas, and San Diego. However, only selected users may be able to ride at first. Over the course of the year, the Ojai will then be available to all customers.

The vehicle is built by Zeekr, the premium brand of the Chinese automotive group Geely. Zeekr produces the vehicles in Ningbo, in the eastern Chinese province of Zhejiang. Waymo then converts them into autonomous taxis in a factory in Mesa, Arizona.

Sixth-generation Waymo Driver

The Ojai will be the first vehicle equipped with the sixth generation of the Waymo Driver system. With this, the Alphabet subsidiary aims to “begin fully autonomous operation.” However, the Ojai still has a steering wheel and the other controls for manual vehicle operation.

Although the Ojai is a minivan, it does not have more seats than a conventional passenger car. However, it offers more interior space.

Accessibility was a priority in the vehicle's design, Waymo said. It has a low entry point, and the floor is level, making it easier to get in and out, as is a grab handle integrated into the seat.

The three displays that provide information about the journey have integrated screen readers, allowing visually impaired passengers to have the content read aloud. Some controls in the vehicle are also labeled in Braille.

(wpl)