Alphabet-owned startup Waymo has introduced its newest robotaxis to select users in Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Francisco. Manufactured by the Chinese brand Zeekr, these fully electric minivans are designed to reduce costs and serve hundreds of thousands of passengers. Rides in these vehicles, currently known as Ojai, are free for now as the company aims to gather customer feedback. This is reported by Techcrunch.com .
The Ojai model is the result of years of testing, focusing on comfort, ease of maintenance, and low operating costs. This minivan was created in partnership with the Zeekr brand, owned by China's Geely Holdings. The vehicle was designed in Sweden and is based on the specialized SEA-M architecture. This platform was developed specifically for future robotaxis and logistics vehicles.
The new robotaxi is equipped with Waymo's sixth-generation driverless system. The system includes 13 cameras, 4 lidars, 6 radars, and external audio receivers. The main advantage of this technology is its modularity, meaning it can be easily installed not only in Zeekr minivans but also in other types of vehicles like the Hyundai Ioniq 5.
Currently, the Waymo fleet consists primarily of 3,700 Jaguar I-Pace vehicles, with the company completing over 500,000 paid trips per week. The introduction of the new Ojai minivans is a significant step toward expanding the fleet and increasing profitability. Although the company has recently suspended service in some cities due to flooding and road construction issues, the new model is expected to drive technological growth.
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