Waymo Rolls Out Zeekr-Built Ojai in 3 Cities as It Targets Tens of Thousands a Year
Updated
Updated · TechCrunch · May 28
Waymo Rolls Out Zeekr-Built Ojai in 3 Cities as It Targets Tens of Thousands a Year
15 articles · Updated · TechCrunch · May 28
Select riders in Los Angeles, Phoenix and San Francisco are now getting free trips in Waymo’s new Ojai robotaxi, an all-electric Zeekr minivan the company says is built for lower-cost scaling.
The vehicle is central to Waymo’s revenue push: its modular sixth-generation system can be used across multiple models, and the company said its Arizona operation is scaling toward annual capacity in the tens of thousands.
Ojai is meant to improve both rider experience and fleet economics, with a flat floor, low step-in height, easier-to-clean interior, faster charging and higher battery capacity to cut maintenance and operating costs.
The launch comes as Waymo works through service setbacks, having suspended freeway robotaxi operations in Los Angeles, Miami, Phoenix and San Francisco over construction-zone behavior and paused service in Atlanta and San Antonio because of flooding.
Waymo says lessons from more than 500,000 paid rides a week and its current fleet of about 3,700 Jaguar I-Pace vehicles shaped the Ojai, which it sees as a path to broader expansion.
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