[AutonomousVehicles] Waymo's New Vehicle covered by Car And Driver

[Cornelius Butler]

Car and Driver just did an in-depth article on the new Waymo Vehicle.
Article link and text are below.

Article Link:
https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a69938250/waymo-ojai-autonomous-robotaxi-details/

Article Text:

The Waymo Ojai Will Soon Offer Autonomous Rides Around the U.S.
Waymo is gearing up to start adding its new self-driving van, built by
Chinese automaker Zeekr, to its fleet of robotaxis in the United States.

By Caleb MillerPublished: Jan 7, 2026

Waymo is expanding its operations to more U.S. cities, which will see a new
electric van join the Jaguar I-Paces currently in Waymo's fleet, as
reported by InsideEVs.
Called the Waymo Ojai, the van is built in China by Zeekr and features a
suite of 13 cameras, six radar sensors, and four lidar sensors.
Certification documents show a single rear-mounted electric motor producing
268 horsepower and hooked up to a 93-kWh battery.
Waymo has been operating a fleet of autonomous robotaxis for some time now,
first in San Francisco and then expanding last year to Los Angeles,
Phoenix, Austin, and Atlanta. Now the Alphabet-owned company is preparing
to update its lineup, supplementing its modified Jaguar I-Paces with a new
van built by Chinese automaker Zeekr. Waymo confirmed the news to InsideEVs
at CES 2026, spilling details about how the vans are built and how they
will fit into Waymo's existing operations.

Waymo Ojai
Waymo

The new autonomous van had previously been shown off as the Zeekr C1Me and
the Zeekr RT, but now it bears a new name: Waymo Ojai. Named for a
Californian city just north of Los Angeles, Waymo spokesperson Chris
Bonelli told InsideEVs that the name was chosen because U.S. riders don't
know the Zeekr brand, a subsidiary of automotive giant Geely.

Waymo plans to add the Ojai to its growing operations later this year,
although the company wouldn't specify which cities will see the new van.
Built exclusively for Waymo, Zeekr constructs the body of the van in China
before shipping it to the U.S., where Waymo fits its software suite and
array of sensors. Bonelli said that the Ojai is not affected by the U.S.
government's regulations that aim to prevent Chinese cars from being sold
to customers in the U.S.


Waymo Ojai
Waymo

A series of 13 cameras, six radar sensors, and four lidar sensors dot the
Ojai's exterior, and are fitted with onboard heaters to reduce ice buildup
and small wipers and fluid to clear away dirt. These features will be
critical as Waymo expands beyond warm-weather cities and into gnarlier
climates in the northeast United States.

While there are no official details on the powertrain, previous
certification documents from the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration for the Zeekr CM1e indicate a single rear-mounted electric
motor producing 268 horsepower and 252 pound-feet of torque. Documents from
the EPA show a 93-kWh lithium-ion battery, but there is no official range
figure. The Ojai also reportedly features an 800-volt electrical
architecture, allowing it to charge faster than the I-Pace.

Along with the Ojai, Waymo plans to add modified Hyundai Ioniq 5s to its
fleet that are also equipped with the company's newest software and
hardware. The Ioniqs and Ojais will coexist with the I-Paces for at least a
few years, as the Jaguars still have hundreds of thousands of miles left on
their duty cycles.
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