Waymo to Deploy Robotaxi Built With Zeekr to Expand Public Rides

Alphabet Inc.’s Waymo unit will deploy a new autonomous vehicle designed specifically for robotaxi use, offering public rides in California and Arizona without human supervision.

Dubbed the Ojai, the self-driving vehicle will initially be made available to select riders in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Phoenix, Waymo said Thursday in a blog post. The four-seat minivan is being built with Zeekr, an arm of China-based automaker Geely Automobile Holdings, through a partnership the companies announced in 2021.

A Waymo Ojai self-driving vehicle in San Francisco on May 27.

Photographer: Jason Henry/Bloomberg

Waymo is the leader in offering ridehailing services using autonomous vehicles without a human driver in the US, though Tesla ...