Imagine stepping into a car with no driver's seat, sliding doors that open wide in the middle, and absolutely no steering wheel. That is the ride thousands of people in San Francisco, Phoenix, and Los Angeles are taking right now — inside Waymo's newest robotaxi, called the Ojai.
The Ojai looks like nothing else on the road. Built by Zeekr, a Chinese electric car brand owned by Geely Group, the vehicle was designed from the ground up for life without a human driver. Its most eye-catching feature is a sliding door in the middle with no B pillar — the metal post between front and back seats that most cars have. This makes it incredibly easy to climb in and out, especially for people carrying bags or with limited mobility.
Here is the surprising part: these robotaxis are coming from China, despite the United States charging a 102.5% tariff on electric vehicles made there. That is more than doubling the price of every single car. The chassis alone costs roughly $38,000 to $38,500 before the tariff is added. With the tariff factored in, each vehicle costs up to about $78,000 — and that does not even include the special Waymo hardware and sensors needed for self-driving.
Yet Waymo has moved forward anyway. More than 2,600 Ojai vehicles had been delivered by 2026, with about 500 more recently spotted at a Waymo facility in Arizona. In total, roughly 3,200 Zeekr-based robotaxis have been imported. The initial concept was actually shown in 2022 under a different name, the M-Vision, and after years of custom design work, it is now carrying real passengers in three major American cities.
Under the hood, the Ojai packs serious technology. Its 800-volt electrical system and 93 kWh battery are designed for efficient charging and plenty of range between stops. Because robotaxis drive at lower, steadier speeds than human drivers typically manage, the battery goes even further.
This matters beyond the novelty. Self-driving electric taxis could dramatically cut emissions in cities. They do not idle, they can be routed efficiently, and when powered by clean energy, they run with zero tailpipe pollution. Waymo is betting that despite the enormous cost of tariffs, the long-term value of a driverless, electric fleet is worth it. The company has spent years designing a vehicle exactly suited to its service — and apparently, tariffs were not going to change that plan.