Waymo Ojai robotaxi opens to public riders for free (Robert Nickelsberg / Getty Images)Waymo is opening its new Ojai robotaxi to select public passengers in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix at no charge, with plans to expand to Denver, Las Vegas, and San Diego before the end of the year.The Ojai is Waymo's first vehicle designed specifically as a robotaxi rather than a retrofitted consumer car. Its cabin features a flat floor, a low step-in height, elevator-style doors, and three large LED screens that riders can use to adjust temperature and audio. The vehicle also includes braille markings, screen-reader compatibility, and a seat-integrated handle for riders who need extra support, the company said.Powering the Ojai is Waymo's 6th-generation Driver, which according to Electrek trims total sensors by 42% relative to the prior generation — dropping camera count from 29 to 13 and lidar units from five to four — and extends the system's ability to handle snowier climates where earlier hardware fell short. According to Electrek, Waymo is aiming to keep hardware costs below $20,000 per vehicle. On top of that, the new sensor suite is built to cut through heavy rain and snow, and the vehicle's audio receivers have been tuned to more reliably pick up emergency sirens, according to CNBC.AdvertisementAdvertisementManufacturing for the Ojai is handled by China's Geely, and CNBC reports the vehicle carries a substantially lower production cost than predecessor models like the Jaguar I-PACE, in large part because it relies on a leaner hardware package. Waymo uses its own custom chips in the new vehicle. The company's Arizona factory is scaling toward a capacity of tens of thousands of units per year, the company said.Of the roughly 4,000 vehicles currently in Waymo's fleet, 100 are already Ojai models, and Ryan Powell, Waymo's head of design, told CNBC that figure is expected to climb into the thousands before the year is out. The company's cumulative autonomous trip count has crossed 20 million across 11 cities, with a goal of reaching one million rides per week by year's end.Waymo has been mapping streets in Portland in preparation for a future robotaxi service there, part of a broader national expansion that also includes planned service in London. The company raised $16 billion at a $126 billion valuation earlier this year.Riders in the initial markets can sign up as Trusted Testers through the Waymo app to request access to the Ojai, the company said. The free-ride period is intended to gather feedback before a wider rollout later this year.
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