Waymo’s commercial robotaxi rollout has expanded notably over the past year. In September 2024 the company operated in only three U.S. cities (Phoenix, Los Angeles and San Francisco); it now offers service in 15 American cities. Ridership has climbed sharply as well: Waymo now averages about 500,000 paid robotaxi rides per week.
Despite those headline numbers, the company’s fleet distribution is highly concentrated. Roughly 80% of Waymo’s approximately 4,000 robotaxis are located in California and Texas. Texas in particular has been the site of recent rapid growth: state vehicle registration records and the Texas Autonomous Vehicle Fleet Tracker show the Texas fleet grew by nearly 50% over a three‑week period. As of September 24, 2025, Waymo had 1,102 autonomous vehicles registered in Texas.
Ojai minivans and the Texas push
The recent surge in Texas has been driven largely by imports of a new Chinese‑built minivan that Waymo markets as the Ojai. Waymo entered commercial service in Austin in March 2025 through a partnership with Uber that allows riders to hail Waymo robotaxis via the Uber app; since then it has expanded operations to Dallas, Houston and San Antonio.
Through most of the summer the Texas fleet grew slowly (from about 600 vehicles in June to more than 700 by the end of August), but in September the fleet jumped as new Ojai minivans arrived. Ojai vehicles now make up roughly one third of Waymo’s Texas fleet, and that share is expected to rise.
Technical and supply details
The Ojai robotaxi is built around Waymo’s sixth‑generation self‑driving system. The vehicle’s interior is designed for heavy use, it includes an upgraded rider interface, and it integrates Google’s Gemini AI as an in‑car assistant for passengers.
Underneath those systems, the Ojai is a modified Zeekr RT minivan. Zeekr is a brand owned by China’s Geely Holding Group (which also owns Volvo). The Ojai is built on Zeekr’s SEA‑M platform, a vehicle architecture intended for uses such as robotaxis and delivery vans. Base Zeekr vehicles are shipped from China to the U.S. without Chinese connected‑car technology; once in the U.S. they are sent to Waymo’s Arizona factory to be fitted with Waymo’s self‑driving stack.
Costs, tariffs and import plans
Waymo expects the Ojai to help reduce per‑vehicle operating costs and support mass scale deployment that could move the business toward profitability. In practice, however, U.S. import tariffs on China‑made vehicles increase the cost of each Ojai. Waymo appears prepared to absorb those tariff costs to accelerate scaling.
New York research firm MoffettNathanson, which tracks Ojai imports using detailed shipping records, reported in September that Waymo is on track to import about 5,100 Ojais into the U.S. by the end of the year.
Where the new vehicles are likely to go
Beyond Texas, other likely recipients of Ojai minivans include Florida (where Waymo operates in three cities) and growing markets such as Las Vegas.
In sum, Waymo’s commercial expansion has produced rapid increases in the number of cities served and in ride volumes, but the physical fleet remains heavily concentrated in California and Texas. The company’s strategy of importing Zeekr‑built Ojai minivans aims to lower long‑term costs and enable scale, even as tariffs raise short‑term import expenses.
