Waymo’s Ojai robotaxis from China now able to pick up all riders

United States tariffs and federal law effectively prevent Americans from buying Chinese-made electric vehicles — but not from hailing them as robotaxis. Through a series of workarounds, Waymo has brought Ojais, self driving EVs manufactured in China by Zeekr, to the United States. Select passengers have been riding in Ojais since May 28; now, the cars are able to pick up all Waymo riders — and soon, people will be able to request them specifically. 

“Waymo has brought more than 3,200 Zeekr vehicles into the US through the Port of Los Angeles since 2024, with more than 2,600 of those arriving in 2026 alone — all while paying a tariff of roughly 127.5% on Chinese EVs,” Fred Lambert writes for Electrek. 

The Ojai’s base price is believed to be worth it: Waymo’s sensors and computing suite are what add the real value to the vehicle, and those aren’t added until the cars are in America, as the US Commerce Department’s connected-vehicle rule bans vehicle-connectivity and driver-assist hardware or software sourced from China or Russia. In total, the Ojai’s cost is still expected to be less than half of Waymo’s standard Jaguar I-PACE cars. 

The Ojai vehicles have extra headroom and legroom compared to the Jaguar I-PACE cars, as well as a low step-in height and sliding doors. The vehicles also feature charging ports, braille labeling and three screens that show the route and allow users to alter the car’s climate and music. 

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