So, Waymo's been tinkering with this minivan-like robotaxi made by Zeekr for a while, right? Three years, to be exact. And guess what? They're finally giving it a new name before unleashing it onto the streets. Say goodbye to the "Zeekr RT" and hello to the "Ojai" (pronounced "oh-hi").

I gotta admit, Ojai sounds way cooler. Apparently, it's named after some artsy, wellness-focused village near Los Angeles. Waymo's reasoning? People here in the U.S. just aren't familiar with the Zeekr brand. Makes sense, I suppose. It's a smart move to give it a fresh identity, especially if they want to appeal to a broader audience. It seems that when you hop into the Ojai, it'll greet you with a friendly "Oh hi" followed by your name. A small detail, but it can make a big difference in making the user feel more confortable.

Let's be real, though. Ditching the name of a Chinese automaker in the current climate probably doesn't hurt either. For those who don't know, Waymo teamed up with Zeekr back in 2021. They even showed off a concept robotaxi in L.A. the following year. This thing was seriously futuristic, built on Zeekr's SEA-M platform, designed specifically for robotaxis and logistics vehicles. Oh, and it didn't have a steering wheel.

However, the Ojai that was showed off at CES 2026 does have one. The Zeekr RT (now Ojai) went through some adjustments over the years. It's been tested in cities like Phoenix and San Francisco. The hardware is still the same as last year, including 13 cameras, four lidar sensors, six radar, an array of external audio receivers and very tiny sensor wipers. But the paint color is now more silver.

Currently, Waymo employees and their close ones are getting exclusive access to the Zeekr van in San Francisco and Phoenix, which is usually a signal that it's about to become available for the general public. Waymo is currently expanding, offering a robotaxi service in Atlanta, Austin, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Francisco, while planning to launch in a dozen more cities over the next year, including Denver, Las Vegas, and London.

I am eager to see how Ojai performs in the real world and what kind of impact it's going to have on the future of urban mobility. It's definitely a project to watch!