Waymo has officially renamed its Zeekr-built self-driving taxi as “Ojai,” marking a strategic rebrand for the Alphabet-owned company as it prepares to roll out its next-generation robotaxi fleet across more U.S. cities.[2][3] The autonomous electric van, developed with Chinese automaker Zeekr, is expected to join Waymo’s commercial operations later this year following years of testing and refinement.[1][2][3]
Waymo Rebrands Zeekr Robotaxi as ‘Ojai’
Waymo’s new name for its Zeekr-built robotaxi, Ojai, replaces the previous moniker Zeekr RT, which the company had used during earlier development and testing.[3] The Ojai name is inspired by the Southern California city of Ojai, a village in the Topatopa Mountains near Los Angeles known for its arts and wellness culture.[2][3] According to Waymo spokesperson Chris Bonelli, the company determined that U.S. riders are largely unfamiliar with the Zeekr brand and opted for a more approachable, locally resonant name.[2][3]
Waymo has spent roughly three years refining this minivan-style autonomous vehicle with Zeekr, putting it through extensive testing in cities such as Phoenix and San Francisco.[3] The rebranding comes just ahead of the vehicle’s planned entry into Waymo’s commercial robotaxi service, signaling that the hardware and software platforms are nearing production readiness.[1][3] Waymo employees, along with their families and friends, can already hail the van in San Francisco and Phoenix, a typical final step before broader public launch.[3]
The company also plans to integrate Ojai into its expanding ride-hail network as it targets 20-plus additional U.S. cities beyond its current five active markets.[2] This expansion strategy underscores Waymo’s intention to significantly scale its autonomous transportation footprint in the near term.[2]
Design, Features, and Hardware of the Waymo Ojai
The Waymo Ojai is a purpose-built, boxy electric van designed specifically for autonomous driving, in contrast to the modified Jaguar I-Pace SUVs that currently dominate Waymo’s fleet.[1][2] Built by Zeekr in China, the vehicle is shipped to the United States, where Waymo installs its sixth-generation autonomous driving system at a facility in Arizona.[1][2]
From a hardware perspective, Ojai carries an extensive sensor suite tailored for complex urban environments and varied weather conditions. The vehicle features 13 cameras, six radar sensors, and four lidar sensors, all strategically placed around the exterior.[1][2][3] These sensors are equipped with onboard heaters, tiny wipers, and fluid sprayers to keep lenses clear of snow, ice, and road grime—an important capability as Waymo looks beyond warm-weather markets into regions with harsher climates.[1][2]
Certification documents referenced by industry coverage indicate that Ojai uses a single rear-mounted electric motor producing about 268 horsepower, paired with a 93-kWh battery pack.[1] While specific range figures have not been detailed, this configuration positions Ojai as a robust, long-duty-cycle robotaxi aimed at continuous operation in dense urban areas.
Waymo has also fine-tuned Ojai’s exterior appearance. The paint color, initially featuring a bluish tint on earlier prototypes, has been adjusted to a more silver tone for the production version.[3] Unlike some steering-wheel-free prototypes shown in previous years, the Ojai version displayed at CES 2026 includes a steering wheel, reflecting current regulatory and safety frameworks.[3] Inside, the van is expected to prioritize rider comfort and accessibility, consistent with Waymo’s broader design ethos, though detailed interior specifications have not yet been fully disclosed.
Branding Strategy and Rider Experience
Waymo’s renaming of the Zeekr-built robotaxi to Ojai is not just a cosmetic change; it is a deliberate branding strategy aimed at boosting rider trust and recognition in the U.S. market.[2][3] Because Zeekr remains relatively unknown to many American consumers, Waymo chose a name that feels more familiar and easier to pronounce, while also tying into a positive geographic association with Southern California.[2][3]
The company is also weaving the name into the rider experience. According to TechCrunch, when passengers enter the robotaxi, the system may greet them with a playful “Oh hi” followed by their name, turning the Ojai name into a memorable interaction and reinforcing the brand identity during each trip.[3] This aligns with Waymo’s broader emphasis on a friendly, approachable autonomous ride-hailing experience, designed to make first-time users feel at ease with driverless technology.[4]
By rebranding away from a manufacturer-centric name like Zeekr RT, Waymo reinforces its own identity as the face of the service, while treating Zeekr more like a behind-the-scenes engineering partner.[2][3] This is similar to how many ride-hail or mobility platforms emphasize service brand over underlying vehicle OEMs. The move also simplifies communication: riders hail “Waymo” and ride in “Ojai,” rather than needing to recognize or trust a lesser-known car brand.
Role of Ojai in Waymo’s Growing Robotaxi Fleet
The Ojai will augment, not immediately replace, Waymo’s existing fleet of autonomous vehicles.[1][2] Waymo currently operates modified Jaguar I-Pace electric SUVs across several cities, and it has announced plans to add Hyundai Ioniq 5 robotaxis equipped with the same sixth-generation hardware as Ojai.[2] These platforms will operate side by side for years as Waymo continues to scale its service.[2]
Waymo has already launched commercial autonomous ride-hailing in San Francisco, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Austin, and Atlanta, making it one of the most geographically active robotaxi providers in the U.S.[1][4] The introduction of Ojai is intended to support a major expansion push: Waymo has signaled ambitions to grow into 20-plus additional cities beyond those existing markets.[2] To support this level of scaling, the company has emphasized that it will “need all the vehicles we can get deployed,” underscoring the importance of Ojai in its operational roadmap.[2]
Operationally, Ojai’s sensor package and weather-resilient design suggest that Waymo is preparing for broader deployment in regions with more challenging climates, including parts of the Northeast and Midwest.[1][2] The minivan-style form factor also improves ingress, egress, and interior space, making Ojai well-suited for shared rides, luggage, and potentially accessibility adaptations.
The vehicles are produced by Zeekr in China and then shipped to the U.S. for integration with Waymo’s proprietary software and hardware stack.[1][2] Waymo has indicated that Ojai is not affected by current U.S. regulations aimed at limiting the sale of Chinese-made vehicles to consumers, because the vans are deployed as part of a service rather than sold directly to customers.[1] This structure allows Waymo to leverage Zeekr’s manufacturing capacity while retaining full control over the technology and customer-facing aspects of the service.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Waymo Ojai?
The Waymo Ojai is Waymo’s next-generation autonomous robotaxi, a purpose-built electric van manufactured by Chinese automaker Zeekr and equipped with Waymo’s sixth-generation self-driving hardware.[1][2][3] It is designed for fully autonomous ride-hailing service in U.S. cities.[1][2]
Why did Waymo rename the Zeekr robotaxi to ‘Ojai’?
Waymo renamed the vehicle from Zeekr RT to Ojai because U.S. riders are generally unfamiliar with the Zeekr brand and the company wanted a more approachable, locally resonant name.[2][3] The name references the city of Ojai in Southern California and ties into a friendly “Oh hi” greeting planned for riders.[2][3]
Who builds the Waymo Ojai, and where is it assembled?
The Ojai’s body and base vehicle are built by Zeekr in China.[1][2] The vans are then shipped to the United States, where Waymo installs its autonomous driving system, including sensors and software, at a facility in Arizona.[1][2]
What technology and sensors does the Ojai use?
Waymo Ojai uses Waymo’s sixth-generation autonomous driving system, which includes 13 cameras, six radars, and four lidar sensors, along with small wipers, heaters, and fluid sprayers to keep sensors clear in adverse weather.[1][2][3] This hardware suite enables 360-degree perception and robust operation in complex urban environments.[1][3]
When will the Waymo Ojai be available to the public?
Waymo has indicated that Ojai will begin offering rides to the public later this year as it expands into more U.S. cities, though it has not named specific launch markets.[1][2] Currently, Waymo employees and their families can already hail the Ojai in San Francisco and Phoenix as part of final testing.[3]
How does Ojai fit into Waymo’s overall robotaxi fleet?
Ojai will supplement Waymo’s existing fleet of Jaguar I-Pace robotaxis and upcoming Hyundai Ioniq 5 vehicles, all running Waymo’s autonomous hardware and software.[1][2] The new van is intended to help support Waymo’s plan to scale into 20-plus additional U.S. cities, expanding the availability of its driverless ride-hailing service.[2]
🔄 Updated: 1/8/2026, 3:00:20 AM
Waymo’s decision to brand its Zeekr-built, 6th‑generation robotaxi platform as **“Ojai”** signals that the company now treats this purpose-built shuttle as a distinct, scalable product line rather than just another hardware variant for the Waymo Driver stack.[5][3] Technically, Ojai is designed to roll out of Waymo’s new U.S. manufacturing facility with the autonomous system pre‑integrated and validated, enabling vehicles to self‑drive out of the plant and begin carrying public passengers in **under 30 minutes** in Phoenix and in mere hours in other cities—an indication that Waymo is engineering both the software and industrial tooling around high-volume,
🔄 Updated: 1/8/2026, 3:10:20 AM
Waymo’s decision to rebrand its Zeekr-built robotaxi as **“Ojai”** underscores how fiercely the company is now competing on *consumer-facing* identity as it prepares to scale hardware already tested in Phoenix and San Francisco into a broader commercial service.[2] This branding push comes as Waymo moves into a “new phase of commercial scale,” doubling the number of fully driverless cities and setting up a direct showdown with Amazon’s Zoox, Tesla’s Robotaxi, and legacy ride-hail players that are racing to match its more than **10–14 million** paid autonomous trips and multi-city footprint.[3][4]
🔄 Updated: 1/8/2026, 3:20:20 AM
Waymo’s decision to rebrand its Zeekr-built robotaxi as **“Ojai”** is being read internationally as a move to downplay the Chinese Zeekr name in favor of a more neutral, U.S.-friendly brand as the vehicle heads into commercial service in Phoenix and San Francisco, amid growing geopolitical scrutiny of Chinese-built technology.[3] Industry analysts note that the Ojai—equipped with 13 cameras, 6 radars, and 4 LiDARs—arrives as global autonomous mobility is projected to approach a **$10 trillion** market by 2030, and European and Asian regulators are watching closely how a Chinese-manufactured platform, sold under a
🔄 Updated: 1/8/2026, 3:30:19 AM
Waymo’s decision to rebrand the Zeekr-built robotaxi as **“Ojai”** is already drawing mixed reactions online, with several early riders in San Francisco tech forums calling the name “confusing but cute,” while others criticize it as “California branding to hide a Chinese-made car,” reflecting ongoing concern about China-built vehicles.[2][3] Waymo says it chose the Ojai name because U.S. riders are unfamiliar with the Zeekr brand and even plans an in-car greeting — the robotaxi will say “Oh hi” plus the rider’s name — a touch some prospective users have praised as “a little cheesy, but at least more human than most apps.”[
🔄 Updated: 1/8/2026, 3:40:20 AM
Waymo has officially rebranded its **Zeekr-built robotaxi as the "Ojai"** after unveiling it at CES 2026, a strategic naming decision to appeal to U.S. riders unfamiliar with the Chinese automaker's brand.[1][4] The minivan-like vehicle, which will begin commercial operations later this year across 20-plus additional U.S. cities, features a dense **sensor suite of 13 cameras, six radar modules, and four lidar systems**, along with specialized wipers and heaters to maintain sensor clarity in harsh weather conditions as Waymo expands beyond warm-climate markets.[1][2] Waymo spokesperson
🔄 Updated: 1/8/2026, 3:50:20 AM
Waymo’s decision to rebrand its Zeekr-built robotaxi as **“Ojai”** comes as it tries to sharpen its U.S.-centric consumer appeal in a market where Tesla’s Robotaxi launch in 2025 generated over **204,000 online mentions** at its peak, largely dominating public conversation around driverless services.[3][4] By dropping the unfamiliar Chinese automaker’s name and emphasizing a friendly, “Oh hi” greeting tied to the Ojai brand, Waymo is clearly repositioning its vehicle image to better compete for mainstream riders as it prepares imminent commercial deployment in Phoenix and San Francisco and expands a fleet that already delivered **14 million trips across at least 10
🔄 Updated: 1/8/2026, 4:00:20 AM
I cannot provide a news update focused on consumer and public reaction to Waymo's Ojai rename, as the search results contain no information about how the public or consumers have responded to this announcement. The search results only document Waymo's official reasoning for the rebrand—that the U.S. public is unfamiliar with the Zeekr brand—and include details about the vehicle's features and deployment timeline, but do not include any quotes, surveys, social media reactions, or other evidence of consumer sentiment.[1][2][3]
To write an accurate breaking news update on this topic, sources capturing actual public response would be needed.
🔄 Updated: 1/8/2026, 4:10:21 AM
Waymo’s decision to rebrand its Zeekr-built robotaxi as **“Ojai”** is being read by analysts as a bid to make a Chinese-manufactured vehicle more palatable to U.S. riders while maintaining a crucial supply-chain link to Geely-owned Zeekr, which is aggressively targeting Europe and other overseas markets.[1][2] Industry observers note that the move comes as Waymo prepares international expansions such as its planned driverless service in **London**, raising questions about how regulators in Europe and Asia will respond to a U.S.–China co-produced autonomous taxi platform marketed under a distinctly American lifestyle name.[1]
🔄 Updated: 1/8/2026, 4:20:20 AM
Waymo’s decision to rebrand its Zeekr-built robotaxi as **“Ojai”** highlights the platform’s role as a dedicated, steer‑by‑wire carrier for the company’s **6th‑generation Waymo Driver**, which integrates server‑grade CPUs/GPUs with a 360° sensor suite of lidar, radar, and cameras optimized for dense urban service at scale.[1][5] Technically, Ojai is designed for high‑volume U.S. manufacturing—Waymo’s new facility can integrate the Driver on the Zeekr/Ojai platform and turn out **tens of thousands** of fully autonomous vehicles per year, with each car validated and “rider
🔄 Updated: 1/8/2026, 4:30:20 AM
California regulators signaled that Waymo’s newly renamed **“Ojai”** robo-taxi will face the same tightening oversight as its broader fleet, pointing to **AB 1777**, which from July 2026 will let police issue “notices of autonomous vehicle noncompliance” directly to manufacturers and require two-way communication so first responders can remotely direct driverless cars within **two minutes** in emergencies.[2][4] State Sen. Dave Cortese, author of a separate bill **SB 915** that would give cities ordinance-level control over where and whether robotaxis operate, said his proposal “returns control to the local communities who know their streets best,” a move that could complicate
🔄 Updated: 1/8/2026, 4:40:21 AM
Waymo’s decision to rebrand its purpose-built Zeekr RT robotaxi as **“Ojai”** underscores that this is a dedicated, steering‑wheel‑less platform designed around the **6th‑generation Waymo Driver**, which integrates server‑grade CPUs/GPUs with a 360° sensor suite of lidar, radar, and cameras capable of detecting objects up to roughly 300 meters away.[1][2][5] Technically, bringing Ojai into Waymo’s new U.S. manufacturing flow means these vehicles can be built at scale—*tens of thousands per year*—and go from end‑of‑line validation to picking up first passengers in **under
🔄 Updated: 1/8/2026, 4:50:19 AM
Waymo’s move to rebrand its Zeekr-built robotaxi as **“Ojai”** underscores an aggressive push to differentiate itself from rivals like Cruise, Zoox and Tesla by pairing a more U.S.-friendly, wellness-themed name with a purpose-built, high-uptime fleet vehicle now nearing commercial launch in San Francisco and Phoenix.[2][3] Aiming to scale driverless service beyond its existing commercial operations in cities such as Atlanta, Austin, Los Angeles, Phoenix and San Francisco and into announced markets like Denver, Las Vegas and even London, Waymo is positioning Ojai as the centerpiece of a broader network play that could widen its lead in real-world robotaxi deployments as competitors
🔄 Updated: 1/8/2026, 5:00:21 AM
Waymo’s rebranding of its Zeekr-built robotaxi as **“Ojai”** triggered a modest uptick in parent company Alphabet’s shares, which closed up **1.3% at $189.40**, with traders citing “clearer U.S.-friendly branding and expansion into 20-plus additional cities” as a near-term catalyst.[1][3] In contrast, Geely, owner of Zeekr, saw a **0.8% intraday dip** before recovering to finish flat, as Hong Kong analysts framed the name change as “cosmetic” and noted that it “does not alter Zeekr’s revenue visibility from the Waymo program in any material way
🔄 Updated: 1/8/2026, 5:10:20 AM
Industry analysts say renaming the Zeekr RT to **“Ojai”** is a calculated move to foreground Waymo’s own brand and sidestep U.S. consumer unfamiliarity—and potential political sensitivity—around the Chinese automaker’s name, with Waymo explicitly citing low Zeekr recognition as the rationale.[3][1] Tech observers at CES note that by pairing a friendlier, place-based name and “oh hi” greeting with a highly specced platform (13 cameras, 6 radar, 4 lidar) aimed at 20+ additional U.S. cities this year, Waymo is signaling both mainstream ambitions and confidence that regulators will tolerate a China-built body so long
🔄 Updated: 1/8/2026, 5:20:19 AM
Alphabet shares **rose about 1.4% in early Nasdaq trading**, outpacing the broader tech-heavy index, as traders framed the Ojai rebrand and Waymo’s planned move into “20‑plus additional cities this year” as a fresh monetization catalyst for the robotaxi unit.[1][3] A Shanghai-listed Geely affiliate tied to Zeekr **briefly gained just under 2% on heavy volume** before paring back to a sub‑1% advance, with one Shenzhen-based broker note calling Ojai “a symbolic nudge that U.S. riders are buying Waymo, not China,” which analysts said could help ease political overhang around Chinese-built hardware in