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Waymo opens its chinese-built Zeekr Ojai robotaxi to all riders in three US cities. The purpose-built EV arrives from China without Chinese connected-car technology before Waymo installs its sixth-generation Driver in Arizona - as import tracking suggests the company is accelerating toward 5,000 Ojai vehicles in the US by year-end, and Waymo separately discloses its own custom compute chip. Waymo opened its next-generation Ojai robotaxi to all riders in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix on 19 August 2026, according to TechCrunch (Kirsten Korosec), independently confirmed by Electrek (Fred Lambert). The vehicle, pronounced "oh-hi," had been available only for free early-access rides since Waymo began testing it commercially on 28 May 2026; it is now available to the general riding public in those three markets, where customers may be matched with an Ojai when one is available. Waymo said it plans to bring the Ojai to Denver, Las Vegas, and San Diego later this year. A chinese-built EV Americans can ride but not buy from a dealership. The Ojai's base vehicle is built by Zeekr, the premium EV brand owned by China's Geely Holding Group, on the automaker's SEA-M platform, with the body designed in Sweden. US trade barriers and federal connected-vehicle restrictions make the Ojai an unusual case: beginning with model year 2027, US rules prohibit certain Chinese- or Russian-linked connected-vehicle and automated-driving software, and separately bar connected-vehicle manufacturers with a sufficient nexus to China or Russia from selling new connected vehicles in the US - while restrictions specifically on covered connectivity hardware do not take effect until model year 2030 (or 1 January 2029 for hardware not tied to a model year). Combined with tariffs that Electrek puts at roughly 127.5% on Chinese-made EVs, this has effectively locked Chinese passenger EV brands out of the US retail market, letting Americans ride in a Chinese-built EV they cannot simply buy from a dealership. The Zeekr-built base vehicles are shipped to the US without Chinese connected-car technology before Waymo equips them with its own sixth-generation autonomous-driving system at its Arizona factory, with final assembly alongside supplier Magna. According to Forbes, cited by Electrek, Waymo has imported more than 3,200 Zeekr vehicles into the US through the Port of Los Angeles since 2024, with more than 2,600 of those arriving in 2026 alone. The pace appears to have accelerated sharply: research firm MoffettNathanson, which tracks Ojai imports through shipping records, had estimated in late June that Waymo was on track to import about 3,156 units during 2026, but its latest estimate cited by TechCrunch now puts the year-end total at 5,000, after 725 vehicles arrived in July alone. What's inside, and the compute behind it. The Ojai is a purpose-built, van-style robotaxi rather than a retrofitted consumer car, with a flat floor, low step-in height, and wide gondola-style doors on both sides. Waymo highlights an expansive cabin with extra legroom and headroom, three adaptive rear-seat screens for route, music, and climate information, plus charging ports, cup holders, grab bars, and braille labeling for accessibility. One day after the public rollout, Waymo also published a detailed account of the computing hardware behind its latest Driver generation: the company says it has developed a purpose-built ASIC that alone delivers over 1,000 TOPS of machine-learning performance dedicated to front-end processing, working alongside partners including AMD, Micron, NVIDIA, Samsung, Sandisk, Socionext, and TSMC. Waymo's system processes high-fidelity data from 13 high-resolution cameras simultaneously in real time. Alongside the wider rollout, Waymo also introduced Google's Gemini AI as an in-car assistant and a redesigned rider app. Scaling up. TechCrunch reports that roughly 300 Ojais are currently in Waymo's commercial fleet, alongside approximately 3,700 Jaguar I-Pace vehicles that have long formed the backbone of its service; Electrek separately reports close to 1,000 Ojais staged at Waymo's Arizona factory in various stages of production and conversion, a broader figure than the commercially deployed count reflecting a different stage of the pipeline rather than a discrepancy. Once Waymo has enough Ojais on the road, riders will be able to choose between the two vehicle types rather than being automatically matched. Waymo is currently completing roughly 500,000 paid rides per week across about a dozen US cities, with a stated target of reaching 1 million weekly rides; the Ojai is not its only new vehicle platform, as Waymo has also announced plans to bring the Hyundai IONIQ 5 online as a second next-generation robotaxi.

Google Gemini Waymo delivers exciting AI upgrades to Ojai robotaxis. 4 hours ago Highlights. * Google Gemini Waymo Integration makes a new AI experience available to all Ojai riders. * Riders can use Gemini to adjust the AC, seats, and cabin lights through voice interaction. * Gemini can control music, including skipping songs and changing the volume. * Passengers can ask questions about the city and places they are traveling through. * Gemini can provide trip information such as destination and ETA. Google Gemini Waymo integration is bringing generative AI into Waymo's Ojai Robotaxi. Google Gemini is moving beyond smartphones and computers into the passenger cabin as Waymo expands its AI-powered experience inside the Ojai robotaxi. It lets generative AI be part of the self-driving ride itself, offering passengers a more natural way to interact with the vehicle while on the road. Rather than thinking of the robotaxi purely as a way to get from one place to another, Waymo uses Gemini to make the car's interior more interactive and functional. From controlling the temperature to answering questions about the city around it, the assistant aims to provide more convenience. Google Gemini Waymo Integration is now part of the Ojai Robotaxi ride. Google Gemini Waymo integration is now available to riders in its Ojai self-driving cars, transforming the robotaxi's interior into more than just a seat. This feature lets riders use Gemini as a conversational assistant to control cabin features, get trip information, answer questions, and learn more about Waymo. Waymo first introduced Gemini in Ojai in July 2026. Waymo introduced Gemini in Ojai in July 2026 as a beta feature. The company has now expanded access, making Gemini available to all riders using the Ojai in its current service areas. The Google Gemini Waymo experience can provide all your journey information, including destination details and estimated arrival time. Waymo's latest rider messaging indicates the feature is now available to all riders using the Ojai in its current public service areas. Riders may be matched with an Ojai in San Francisco, Phoenix, and Los Angeles. What can Google Gemini Waymo do inside the robotaxi? This concept is simple: riders can communicate with Gemini during their travel instead of manually using several controls. For example, a passenger can ask Gemini to adjust the air conditioner by setting the temperature to 65 degrees. Furthermore, Gemini can assist with cabin controls, including seating and lighting. Gemini can also handle questions unrelated to vehicle controls. Riders can ask for information about the city they are traveling through, learn about landmarks they pass, or ask for recommendations such as nearby coffee shops. Waymo also says Gemini can provide journey information, including details such as the destination and estimated arrival time. It can answer questions about Waymo itself, giving passengers another way to understand how the autonomous service works. Music and cabin controls get a voice interface. This also gives passengers more freedom to choose what to listen to during the trip. According to Waymo, riders can use the assistant to skip the song they are currently playing or change the volume. When you factor in the air conditioning and seat controls, the assistant becomes more integrated into the overall passenger experience. The goal is to make the ride feel more personalized without requiring passengers to interact with the vehicle's controls for every small change. Google Gemini Waymo does not drive the vehicle. One of the most important details is that Gemini is not responsible for driving the vehicle. Waymo keeps Gemini separate from the Waymo Driver, its autonomous driving system. Gemini assists with dialogue between the system and passengers in the cabin while the Waymo Driver handles navigation and operates the robotaxi on the road. Waymo says Gemini does not control the vehicle's movement or routing and does not have access to real-time driving data. A rider can use a voice command to request a pullover, but Gemini otherwise does not determine where the robotaxi drives. This separation is important because it keeps the generative AI assistant focused on passenger interaction rather than autonomous driving decisions. Gemini Waymo: privacy remains a key part of the feature. Waymo says Gemini remains inactive until the rider chooses to engage with it. In other words, passengers must actively use the assistant rather than having it run continuously in the background. Waymo released Gemini as part of the Waymo beta as a voice assistant that could be improved over time. This approach allows Waymo to gather feedback and refine conversational AI technology. The Ojai was designed around the passenger. Gemini is only one part of Waymo's broader redesign of the Ojai robotaxi experience. According to Waymo, the Ojai is a car designed for ridesharing. This car features a spacious cabin, three large display screens, and controls designed for the passenger's benefit. The Ojai also offers accessibility features, including Braille integration, support for screen readers, and a handle in the seat. The Ojai is also the first Waymo vehicle to use the company's sixth-generation Waymo Driver. Waymo says the new system is designed to expand its ability to operate in more challenging conditions while supporting the company's plans to scale its autonomous fleet. What Google Gemini Waymo Integration means for robotaxis. The Gemini integration shows how autonomous vehicles are developing a second layer of AI beyond driving itself. The Waymo Driver handles the complex task of navigating the physical world, while Gemini acts more like a digital passenger assistant. For riders, that could make an autonomous trip feel less like simply being transported from one location to another and more like using an intelligent, connected space. For now, Gemini in Waymo remains a beta feature, but its expansion to all Ojai riders adds another layer of AI to Waymo's autonomous ride experience. Follow Techgenyz on: Latest Now