Waymo Ojai robotaxi is entering a new phase as the autonomous driving company quietly reshapes how its next vehicle will be perceived by the public. After more than three years of testing and refinement, the minivan-style robotaxi previously known as the Zeekr RT is officially getting a new identity before joining Waymo’s commercial fleet. The vehicle will now be called Ojai, a name chosen to feel friendly, familiar, and distinctly American as Waymo prepares for broader public rollout.
The rebrand marks a strategic shift for Waymo as it accelerates expansion across major cities. While the technology under the hood remains largely unchanged, the new name signals how much attention Waymo is paying to public trust, brand clarity, and rider comfort. Autonomous vehicles are no longer a novelty in a few pilot zones. They are becoming part of daily transportation, and Waymo wants every detail to feel approachable.
Ojai takes its name from the small arts-focused town nestled in the Topatopa Mountains above Los Angeles. The word is pronounced “oh-hi,” which is not an accident. Waymo confirmed that riders entering the vehicle may be greeted with a cheerful “Oh hi” followed by their name. The company believes subtle human touches like this matter as robotaxis move from experimental technology into mainstream mobility.
According to Waymo spokesperson Chris Bonelli, internal research showed that most U.S. riders were unfamiliar with the Zeekr brand. That lack of recognition created friction at exactly the wrong moment, just before commercial deployment. Waymo decided it made more sense to present the vehicle as a native part of its own ecosystem rather than highlight a foreign automaker that many customers do not know.
There is also a broader cultural context. In the United States, consumer sentiment around Chinese manufacturing and data security remains sensitive. While Waymo did not explicitly frame the change this way, removing the Chinese automaker’s name from the vehicle reduces unnecessary distractions. The focus stays on Waymo’s software, safety record, and rider experience rather than geopolitical debates.
The vehicle itself comes from a long-standing partnership between Waymo and Zeekr, which is owned by Geely Holding Group. That relationship began in 2021, when Waymo started working with Zeekr on a purpose-built autonomous vehicle platform rather than adapting existing consumer cars. The goal was to design a robotaxi from the ground up, optimized for autonomy, durability, and passenger comfort.
Waymo first revealed a concept version of the robotaxi in 2022 at a high-profile event in Los Angeles. The design was based on Zeekr’s SEA-M architecture, a modular electric platform intended for future mobility products such as autonomous taxis and logistics vehicles. At the time, the concept drew attention for what it lacked as much as for what it offered. There was no steering wheel, reinforcing the idea that full autonomy was the end goal.
That detail has since changed. The version now branded as Ojai includes a steering wheel, reflecting regulatory realities and Waymo’s cautious deployment strategy. While the vehicle is designed to operate without a human driver, having traditional controls simplifies testing, certification, and transitional use cases. It also reassures regulators who remain wary of vehicles with no manual fallback.
Over the past several years, the Zeekr RT platform has quietly logged miles across multiple U.S. cities. Testing has taken place in Phoenix and San Francisco, two of Waymo’s most mature autonomous markets. These environments offer very different challenges, from wide suburban roads to dense urban traffic filled with cyclists, pedestrians, and unpredictable drivers. Each iteration of testing informed subtle refinements to the vehicle.
At last year’s CES showcase, Waymo publicly used the Zeekr RT name and highlighted the vehicle’s extensive sensor suite. That hardware configuration remains unchanged in the newly named Ojai. The robotaxi is equipped with 13 cameras, four lidar units, six radar sensors, and a network of external microphones designed to detect sirens and other audio cues. Even the small sensor wipers, designed to keep lenses clean in bad weather, remain part of the design.
What has changed is the exterior finish. Waymo confirmed that the paint color has shifted from a bluish tint to a more neutral silver. While minor, the adjustment aligns the vehicle more closely with Waymo’s broader fleet identity. Visual consistency helps reinforce brand recognition as the company adds more vehicles and enters new cities.
The timing of the rebrand is deliberate. Ojai is now entering the final phase before full public availability. Waymo employees, along with their friends and family members, are already able to hail the vehicle in San Francisco and Phoenix. This internal rollout is a standard step in Waymo’s playbook, allowing the company to observe real-world usage while maintaining a controlled user group.
These internal rides generate valuable feedback. Riders comment on entry and exit comfort, interior layout, ride smoothness, and how the vehicle communicates its intentions. Small usability issues can be identified and resolved before the general public ever sees the robotaxi. For a company whose reputation depends on safety and reliability, this stage is critical.
The Ojai robotaxi is also debuting at a moment when Waymo is scaling faster than ever. The company already operates a paid commercial robotaxi service in Atlanta, Austin, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Francisco. In these cities, fully driverless vehicles are no longer rare sightings. They are part of daily commutes, airport runs, and late-night rides home.
Waymo plans to launch in roughly a dozen additional cities over the next year. Among the confirmed locations are Denver, Las Vegas, and London, signaling both domestic growth and international ambition. Each new city brings unique regulatory hurdles, road designs, and driving cultures. A consistent, friendly vehicle identity like Ojai helps Waymo present a unified brand as it navigates that complexity.
The rebranding also reflects a broader truth about autonomous vehicles. As the technology matures, differentiation shifts away from raw capability and toward experience. Most riders will never think about lidar configurations or sensor fusion algorithms. They care about whether the car arrives on time, feels safe, and makes the ride pleasant. Names, greetings, and visual design all play into that perception.
Ojai represents Waymo’s belief that robotaxis should feel less like experimental machines and more like familiar companions. The name is easy to pronounce. It sounds welcoming. It avoids technical jargon. These choices may seem small, but they shape first impressions, especially for riders trying autonomous transport for the first time.
In many ways, the Ojai robotaxi is a symbol of how far Waymo has come. What began as a research project inside Google has evolved into a commercial transportation network spanning multiple cities. Vehicles like Ojai are no longer just proofs of concept. They are the frontline interface between advanced AI systems and everyday people.
As Waymo continues its rapid expansion, the success of Ojai will be measured not only in miles driven or disengagement rates, but in how comfortable riders feel trusting a car with no driver. By rebranding the Zeekr RT and refining its presentation, Waymo is betting that approachability is just as important as autonomy itself.
