Same Driver, new vehicle: Welcoming our first riders trips in the Ojai
We’re welcoming our first riders to experience the Ojai in the coming weeks. We’ve spent years creating a journey that feels less like a car and more like its namesake: an oasis on wheels. While our employees have been enjoying fully autonomous trips in the Ojai for months, we’re excited to welcome our first public riders along for the ride to enjoy this next-generation experience.
When riders open the elevator-like doors, they are welcomed into a cabin that feels remarkably expansive. With a low step and completely flat floor making it easier to get in and out, the space opens up like a living room on wheels. Three large LED screens offer a ride that is yours to customize, from temperature to tunes. This is just the beginning; we look forward to introducing more rider features to the Ojai experience over time to help you make each ride your own.
The Ojai was designed as a rider-first platform for fully autonomous ride-hailing, featuring subtle conveniences integrated throughout the vehicle. From intuitive interfaces to streamlined charging solutions for both our riders and our fleet, every detail is designed to keep them powered up and on the go.
Built on years of collaboration with input from our riders and community partners, the Ojai integrates accessibility directly into the vehicle’s DNA. We’ve prioritized subtle touches that are there when you need them. From embedded braille and screen-reader compatibility to a seat-integrated handle for extra support when entering or exiting, these features ensure the vehicle is as accessible as it is convenient.
While the vehicle is a brand-new silhouette on the streets, the technology behind the wheel is an evolution of our safety-proven Waymo Driver, which has served over 20 million fully autonomous trips across 11+ cities. The Ojai will be the first vehicle to debut the 6th-generation Waymo Driver, enabling us to serve cities with even snowier conditions and further increase our operations. We are now meaningfully scaling our Waymo-enabled vehicles toward a capacity of tens of thousands of units per year at our factory in Mesa, Arizona.
We're getting ready to scale our footprint nationally. Initially, select riders in San Francisco, Phoenix, and Los Angeles will have the option to take free rides in the Ojai, as we collect valuable feedback on this novel experience. We’ll gradually welcome more riders over the coming months, as well as expand to new cities, including Denver, Las Vegas and San Diego, before opening our doors even wider to everyone later this year.
Come experience what we’ve built together by downloading the Waymo app (if you don’t already have it) and expressing interest in riding with the Ojai by signing up as a Trusted Tester!