Waymo is rebranding its Zeekr RT robotaxi, renaming it "Ojai" before its integration into Waymo's commercial fleet, the company told TechCrunch. The decision to change the name from Zeekr RT to Ojai (pronounced oh-hi), named after a village in California, stems from Waymo's assessment that the U.S. public lacks familiarity with the Zeekr brand.

According to Waymo spokesperson Chris Bonelli, the company believes the new name will resonate better with American consumers. The branding change may extend to the rider experience, with the robotaxi potentially greeting passengers with "Oh hi" followed by their name.

Waymo initially partnered with Zeekr, owned by Geely Holding Group, in 2021 to develop a purpose-built robotaxi. A concept vehicle based on Zeekr's SEA-M architecture, designed for future mobility solutions, was unveiled in Los Angeles in 2022. This architecture is specifically tailored for robotaxis and logistics vehicles.

The collaboration with Zeekr allowed Waymo to leverage a platform designed for autonomous driving, integrating Waymo's self-driving technology into a vehicle built from the ground up for that purpose. The Ojai represents the culmination of three years of refinement and testing.

The rebranding also comes at a time when there is increasing scrutiny of Chinese-affiliated brands in the U.S., although Waymo did not explicitly state this as a reason for the name change. The focus, according to the company, is on creating a recognizable and approachable brand for its robotaxi service.

The Ojai is expected to join Waymo's existing fleet of autonomous vehicles, expanding the company's reach in the autonomous ride-hailing market. The company has not yet announced a specific timeline for when the Ojai will be available to the public.