The new edition of autonomous cars are roomier and feature Google’s Gemini
Los Angeles is among the first batch of markets home to Waymo’s new Ojai vehicle.
Equipped with a sixth-generation “driver,” the Ojai vans sport more spacious interiors, automatic sliding doors, three large in-car screens and accessibility-focused design improvements. In addition, this latest vehicle edition comes equipped with Google’s Gemini, which riders can use for cabin controls, trip information, Waymo education and other everyday knowledge.
Credit: Courtesy Waymo
Credit: Courtesy Waymo
The sixth-generation Waymo driver is informed by 20 million autonomous trips across 11 cities and enables function in snowier cities.
For the big reveal, the autonomous driving technology company tapped home connoisseur Martha Stewart. She dubs Ojai as her “home away from home” in the promo.
Waymo first began testing in the Los Angeles area in late 2022 and fully launched its operations and public rides in March 2024. Over the years, the robotaxis have earned mixed sentiments. While some applaud the autonomous ease, others have been frustrated by Waymo vehicles idling in neighborhoods, taking up public parking spaces and clogging alleyways. A judge limited two Waymo charging stations in Santa Monica to daytime charging only as a result of local residents’ complaints about the facilities’ noise and bright lights.
Just two weeks before the Ojai vans appeared in Los Angeles, Waymo won approval from the California Public Utilities Commission to operate in 18 more California counties, including Orange, Riverside and Napa. This will more than triple its service area in the regions surrounding L.A. and San Francisco.
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Other cities part of the Ojai rollout include San Francisco and Phoenix, with San Diego, Las Vegas and Denver, among others, to follow.