Waymo is now letting all riders in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix hail its next-generation Ojai robotaxi — a vehicle built in China by Zeekr.

That makes the Ojai one of the only ways for an American to ride in a Chinese-made EV, a car they still can’t legally buy for themselves.

Waymo announced today that the Ojai, which had been limited to free early-access rides since it started offering trips in the new robotaxi on May 28, is now open to the general public across all three markets as the Alphabet unit begins commercial operations with the platform.

Riders may be matched with an Ojai when one is available nearby. Waymo says it will eventually let passengers choose between the Ojai and its existing Jaguar I-PACE fleet.

The Ojai’s base vehicle is manufactured by Zeekr, the premium EV brand owned by China’s Geely Holding Group, on the automaker’s SEA-M architecture, with the body designed in Sweden.

US tariffs and an incoming federal rule have effectively locked Chinese passenger EVs out of the American market, which is why you can’t walk into a dealership and buy a Zeekr, a BYD, or any other Chinese brand. Waymo is importing them by the thousands anyway.

According to Forbes, 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.

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