Waymo’s newest robotaxi is Chinese-made, built to make money, and now accepting riders

The stripped-down Zeekr vehicles — which don’t contain any Chinese connected car tech — are sent to Waymo’s Arizona factory, where they are outfitted with all of its robotaxi bells and whistles. The company said it is now scaling toward a capacity of tens of thousands of units annually starting with the Ojai, and followed by the Hyundai Ioniq 5.

The result is a vehicle with a flat floor, low step-in height, and gondola-like doors on both sides for easier entry and exit. There are other features aimed at pleasing riders, including charging ports, cup holders, increased leg and head rooms, grab bars, braille above various buttons, and three large adaptive screens, where customers can access the route, change music, climate, and rider tips.

It also has an easier-to-clean interior, faster charging, a modular design, and increased battery capacity — all details that can help reduce costs and make maintenance and repairs more efficient.