The Waymo Ojai Will Soon Offer Autonomous Rides Around the U.S.

Summary

Waymo is expanding its operations to more U.S. cities, which will see a new electric van join the Jaguar I-Paces currently in Waymo's fleet, as reported by InsideEVs.Called the Waymo Ojai, the van is built in China by Zeekr and features a suite of 13 cameras, six radar sensors, and four lidar sensors.Certification documents show a single rear-mounted electric motor producing 268 horsepower and hooked up to a 93-kWh battery.Waymo has been operating a fleet of autonomous robotaxis for some time now, first in San Francisco and then expanding last year to Los Angeles, Phoenix, Austin, and Atlanta. Now the Alphabet-owned company is preparing to update its lineup, supplementing its modified Jaguar I-Paces with a new van built by Chinese automaker Zeekr. Waymo confirmed the news to InsideEVs at CES 2026, spilling details about how the vans are built and how they will fit into Waymo's existing operations.WaymoThe new autonomous van had previously been shown off as the Zeekr C1Me and the Zeekr RT, but now it bears a new name: Waymo Ojai. Named for a Californian city just north of Los Angeles, Waymo spokesperson Chris Bonelli told InsideEVs that the name was chosen because U.S. riders don't know the Zeekr brand, a subsidiary of automotive giant Geely.Waymo plans to add the Ojai to its growing operations later this year, although the company wouldn't specify which cities will see the new van. Built exclusively for Waymo, Zeekr constructs the body of the van in China before shipping it to the U.S., where Waymo fits its software suite and array of sensors. Bonelli said that the Ojai is not affected by the U.S. government's regulations that aim to prevent Chinese cars from being sold to customers in the U.S.WaymoA series of 13 cameras, six radar sensors, and four lidar sensors dot the Ojai's exterior, and are fitted with onboard heaters to reduce ice buildup and small wipers and fluid to clear away dirt. These features will be critical as Waymo expands beyond warm-weather cities ...