Waymo Zeekr A No-Go, Waymo Ojai A Go - CleanTechnica

The article discusses Waymo’s ongoing development and deployment of its robotaxi fleet, focusing on the transition from the initially revealed Zeekr-based vehicle to the newly branded Waymo Ojai. While the Zeekr robotaxi was anticipated for some time, Waymo has decided not to emphasize the Chinese EV supplier’s name in its branding, instead naming the vehicle "Ojai" after a Californian village known for arts and wellness. The Ojai robotaxi, showcased at CES 2026, includes a steering wheel to comply with U.S. regulations and is equipped with an array of sensors—13 cameras, 4 lidar, 6 radar, and external audio receivers—along with innovative features like tiny sensor wipers. The vehicle is designed to greet passengers with a personalized “Oh, hi,” reflecting a friendly user experience. Despite significant progress and rapid scaling of Waymo’s robotaxi operations, some technical challenges remain, particularly with sensor interpretation around bridges. The article highlights incidents in Venice,