Waymo has begun deploying its new Ojai van, a larger driverless vehicle, to paying customers in San Francisco as part of an aggressive expansion strategy. The blue minivan-style robotaxi became available to riders on August 19, 2026, and represents the company's biggest vehicle redesign since it started testing self-driving technology on San Francisco streets in 2021. The shift from smaller white Jaguar sedans to the roomier Ojai signals that Waymo is confident enough in its autonomous driving capabilities to operate larger vehicles that could carry more passengers and generate higher revenue per trip.

What Makes the Ojai Different From Waymo's Original Robotaxis?

The Ojai is visually distinctive and functionally different from Waymo's earlier vehicles. The baby-blue van is modeled after a minivan but seats only four passengers, with side-opening double doors instead of swinging doors, making it easier for riders to enter and exit compared to the compact leather seats of the smaller white Jaguar i-Pace sedans. The vehicle offers significantly more legroom and headroom, a practical improvement that particularly benefits taller passengers. Riders cannot request a specific Ojai through the Waymo app; instead, the system assigns "the closest available car," and pricing remains the same as the original white vehicles.

The Ojai is built by Chinese company Zeekr and imported to the United States before being retrofitted with Waymo's sensors and autonomous driving technology. Despite a 100% U.S. tariff on Chinese-made electric vehicles, Waymo says the Ojai design is more straightforward and cost-effective as the company expands into new territories, including Denver and other parts of California. The vehicle runs on Waymo's sixth-generation Driver software, which the company claims processes environmental data faster for improved real-time decision-making.

How Is Waymo Expanding Its Robotaxi Fleet and Territory?

• Fleet Size: Waymo has more than 1,000 robotaxis in the Bay Area, with over 3,500 total vehicles operating across all locations combined.
• Geographic Expansion: State regulators approved Waymo to expand beyond San Francisco to other parts of California, including the East Bay and up to Sonoma County.
• Financial Backing: The company received a $16 billion investment in February 2026, fueling aggressive growth and vehicle deployment.

Waymo is currently the only commercial driverless car service operating in San Francisco without a safety driver present. Tesla's robotaxis and Amazon's Zoox vehicles are still in testing phases with safety drivers or offering free rides, giving Waymo a significant competitive advantage in the paid autonomous taxi market. The company is leveraging this lead with a major marketing campaign featuring Martha Stewart, who gives a "home tour" of the Ojai's features in promotional advertisements.

Why Are Larger Robotaxis a Significant Step Forward?

The transition to larger vehicles like the Ojai represents a major milestone in autonomous vehicle development. According to industry analysis, this expansion makes sense after years of proving that smaller passenger cars operate safely on city streets.

"Ten years ago it would have been risky. If a van has a mishap, it could cause more damage than a passenger car," said Gil Luria, head of research at D.A. Davidson, an investment firm.

Gil Luria, Head of Research at D.A. Davidson

The fact that Waymo is confident enough to deploy larger vehicles suggests the company's autonomous driving system has matured significantly.

The Ojai's launch also reflects a broader trend in autonomous vehicle development. Amazon's Zoox has been testing its distinctive toaster-shaped vans for nearly two years, and Tesla's robotaxis feature a signature gold-ish brown paint job. These customized vehicles with unique shapes and colors represent the next wave of self-driving technology, where different companies will operate visually distinct fleets optimized for their specific operational needs and markets.

During a test ride from an ice cream shop in Noe Valley to The Standard's office in SoMa, the Ojai demonstrated typical Waymo behavior, including an instance where it abruptly braked when encountering an oncoming vehicle, then reversed to make room for the human-driven car to pass. Such cautious maneuvers reflect the conservative approach Waymo has taken to ensure passenger safety and public trust.

Waymo's expansion faces some economic headwinds. The 100% tariff on Chinese-made electric vehicles adds significant cost to each Ojai imported from Zeekr. However, industry analysts note that Google, Waymo's parent company through Alphabet, has "some of the deepest pockets ever," meaning tariffs are unlikely to derail expansion plans in the near term, even if they complicate long-term economics. Chinese automakers currently produce electric vehicles at substantially lower costs than U.S. competitors, making imports economically attractive despite tariff penalties.

The Ojai launch underscores Waymo's position as the leading commercial autonomous vehicle operator in the United States. By deploying a second vehicle type and expanding into new geographic markets, the company is signaling confidence that autonomous driving technology has moved beyond the experimental phase into mainstream commercial operation. For San Francisco residents and visitors, the increasingly visible blue vans serve as a daily reminder that the robotaxi era is no longer a distant future prospect, but an active present-day reality reshaping urban transportation.