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Waymo Expands Ojai Robotaxi Fleet With Lower-Cost Design

Alphabet's Waymo is rolling out its new Ojai robotaxis to select passengers across multiple U.S. markets. The company targets lower manufacturing costs as competition intensifies in autonomous vehicle services.

The company opened rides to public customers in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Phoenix, with expansion planned for San Diego, Las Vegas and Denver this summer. Waymo already operates roughly 100 Ojai vehicles within its fleet of nearly 4,000 cars, with plans to deploy thousands more by year-end.

The Ojai design features improved interior space, removable steering capability and reduced sensor requirements compared to earlier Jaguar-based models. Made by China's Geely, the vehicles integrate Waymo's sixth-generation autonomous driving system, offering enhanced low-light detection capabilities.

Waymo secured $16 billion in funding in February and plans London service launches later this year as it competes with Tesla and Amazon's Zoox in the autonomous mobility sector.