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Waymo opens Zeekr-built Ojai robotaxi to all riders in its U.S. markets
Confirmed
What we know
Alphabet’s Waymo said its purpose-built Ojai robotaxi — a Zeekr-built electric vehicle previously limited to free early-access trips — is now open to general riders in the markets where Waymo already operates commercially.
Trade and tech reporting around the same period said Waymo has imported more than 3,000 Zeekr base vehicles through the Port of Los Angeles since 2024 while paying steep U.S. tariffs on Chinese EVs (widely estimated near 127.5%). Reporting described a workflow that strips Chinese connected-vehicle hardware before Waymo installs its own sensor and compute stack in the United States.
What's confirmed
- Waymo and multiple tech outlets reported Ojai moving from early-access to paid/general rider availability in existing Waymo markets.
- Import and tariff figures cited in secondary reporting (Forbes via Electrek and others) put cumulative Zeekr shipments above 3,000 units since 2024, with the bulk arriving in 2026 — these are company/trade estimates, not a U.S. government tally in the pieces reviewed.
- California regulators had previously cleared broader commercial geography for Waymo’s driverless service; rollout timing remains gradual per those reports.
What's still developing
- How quickly Ojai displaces Jaguar I-Pace units in day-to-day rider mix is an operational detail Waymo has not published as a fixed schedule.
- Future federal connected-vehicle rules and tariff policy could still change the economics of imported base vehicles.