Waymo will begin offering free rides in the Ojai, its purpose-built autonomous ride-hailing vehicle, to select riders in San Francisco, Phoenix, and Los Angeles in the coming weeks. The company describes the Ojai as a rider-first platform designed from the ground up for fully autonomous service, with employees having already taken fully autonomous trips in the vehicle for months. The Ojai is the first vehicle to debut the 6th-generation Waymo Driver, the sensing and compute system Waymo says will extend operations into snowier climates. The rollout builds on a Waymo network that, by the company’s account, has completed more than 20 million fully autonomous trips across 11 or more cities.
Highlights
- The Ojai debuts the 6th-generation Waymo Driver, which the company says enables service in snowier conditions and broader operations.
- Free rides open first to select riders in San Francisco, Phoenix, and Los Angeles, with phased expansion to Denver, Las Vegas, and San Diego planned.
- The underlying Waymo Driver has served more than 20 million fully autonomous trips across 11 or more cities, per the company.
- Waymo reports it is scaling toward a capacity of tens of thousands of vehicles per year at its Mesa, Arizona factory.
A Cabin Built Around the Rider
The Ojai departs from the retrofitted passenger cars that defined Waymo’s earlier fleets. The company says the vehicle uses elevator-style doors, a low step, and a completely flat floor to ease entry and exit, with an interior it compares to a living room on wheels. Three large LED screens let riders adjust settings such as temperature and audio. Waymo positions these as a starting point and says additional rider features will be introduced to the Ojai over time.
Accessibility is integrated into the platform rather than added on, according to Waymo. The vehicle includes embedded braille, screen-reader compatibility, and a seat-integrated handle for support when entering or exiting. The company attributes these choices to years of collaboration with riders and community partners.
How Is the Ojai Different From Earlier Waymo Vehicles?
The exterior silhouette is new, but Waymo characterizes the underlying technology as an evolution of its existing autonomous system rather than a clean break. The Ojai is the first vehicle to carry the 6th-generation Waymo Driver, which the company says enables service in cities with heavier snow and supports expanded operations. That hardware sits atop a record the company puts at more than 20 million fully autonomous trips across 11 or more cities.
Where the Ojai Will Operate
Waymo plans a phased rollout. Free rides open first to selected riders in San Francisco, Phoenix, and Los Angeles, with the company gathering feedback before widening access over the coming months. Waymo also names Denver, Las Vegas, and San Diego among the cities it intends to add before broadening availability later this year. On production, the company says it is scaling toward a capacity of tens of thousands of Waymo-enabled vehicles per year at its factory in Mesa, Arizona. Riders interested in early access can express interest through the Waymo app by signing up as a Trusted Tester.
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