Waymo on Thursday said it has begun using its sixth-generation driverless system to provide robotaxi rides to employees on Ojai vehicles, which use a base model made by Chinese automaker Geely.
By upgrading their driverless tech, and adding more vehicles to its fleet, Waymo aims to extend its U.S. lead and lock in loyal riders. The Alphabet
-owned company said its sixth-generation Waymo Driver uses more cost-effective parts, and should be able to navigate through harsher weather conditions than previous generations.
The new system will serve "as the primary engine for our next era of expansion," Waymo Vice President of Engineering Satish Jeyachandran said in a statement.
Waymo is offering service on its Ojai vehicles to employees and their guests in the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles first, before gradually expanding to new cities, with a goal to open to public riders later this year.
