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Waymo’s new silver Ojai car has a fresh new look, but the real news is how the company is turning its self-driving taxi into a vehicle specifically built for everyday passengers.
The shiny silver outside no doubt catches your eye, but the best updates are hidden inside the cabin. These changes demonstrate that Waymo is shifting from simply testing self-driving technology to running a large-scale commercial service for the general public.
P.S. The silver Ojai is not a second-generation Ojai in the autonomous-driving sense. It is better understood as an updated production/rider-experience version of the same Ojai platform, with several meaningful cabin improvements. The major self-driving technology—known as the sixth-generation Waymo Driver—was already introduced earlier in 2026.
So, What Actually Changed?
Waymo recently announced several updates for the silver Ojai. On the outside, it features a sleek silver paint job. Inside, it comes with updated colors, soft leather-like seats, matching seatbelts, carpeted floors, and high-contrast styling details. Most importantly, riders will notice brand-new seats, convenient rear armrests, and wireless phone charging.
Let’s take a closer look at these improvements.
1. The passenger-first cabin
Waymo says it designed the Ojai from the ground up for ride-hailing. It is not a retrofitted consumer car. Zeekr builds the van, and Waymo fits its driving hardware at its plant in Mesa, Arizona. The silver version adds soft leatherette seats, matching seatbelts, carpeted flooring and high-contrast trim. Waymo calls the cabin a living room on wheels.
2. Gemini in Waymo
Gemini in Waymo launched in July as a beta voice assistant. Riders tap a button on screen and talk to it. You can ask it to set the A/C to 65, check your trip progress or learn about a landmark outside. It stays off until you choose to use it. It also runs separately from the Waymo Driver, so it cannot steer, change the route or read real-time driving data. The one exception is a request to pull over, which it passes to the Driver. Gemini belongs to the wider Ojai experience, so it is not exclusive to the silver model.
3. The choreographed three-screen cabin
The Ojai has a large touchscreen up front and one screen behind each front seat. Waymo calls the setup choreographed because the screens do not all show the same thing. Passengers in the back seat can use their own screens to check the map, play music, or adjust the temperature. Important trip details remain on display even while you change your settings. This unique screen setup could soon become one of the most famous parts of using a Waymo.
4. New seating
Waymo lists new seats as a functional upgrade. It has not said what changed beyond the leatherette look. The Ojai now in service has fabric seats. Waymo already promotes easier-to-clean interiors for this van, so upkeep may be part of the new arrangement. For a fleet that runs all day, seat wear and cleaning time surely do add up.
5. Wireless phone charging
Waymo lists a wireless phone charger as new in the silver Ojai. The current Ojai already offers wireless charging alongside wired ports, including USB-C. Either way, it is a small feature with a big payoff. Frequent riders with low phone batteries can set the phone down and it charges. No cable needed.
6. Rear armrests
The current Ojai has a fold-down armrest with cup holders on the middle bench. Waymo lists rear armrests as new in the silver version. The upgrade is easy to overlook, but i’s the kind of detail that makes a ride feel more comfortable, especially on longer trips.
7. Accessibility-focused design
The Ojai has a flat floor and a low step-in height. It has Braille, screen-reader compatibility, and grab bars. Its wide sliding doors also help riders get in and out. A car that more people can use is a better product. It also opens up a larger group of riders.
8. Sixth-generation Driver
The Ojai is the first vehicle to carry Waymo’s sixth-generation Driver. It uses 13 cameras, four lidars and six radar units. That is 42% fewer sensors than the fifth-generation system. Waymo says the new hardware can extend service to cities with harsher winter weather. Fewer sensors and wider reach are what an AV company needs to scale.
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What’s Next?
The silver Ojai comes from Waymo‘s Mesa, Arizona plant. Waymo says the factory is scaling up towards tens of thousands of vehicles each year. It will build the Ojai first and add the Hyundai IONIQ 5 later.
Silver Ojai rides are set for San Francisco, Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Earlier reports said Denver and San Diego would follow for the Ojai. Waymo has not said how many silver vans it will build or whether they replace the blue ones.
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I’m Dr. Brandial Bright, also known as the AVangelist. As a dedicated and passionate researcher in autonomous and electric vehicles (AVs and EVs), my mission is to educate and raise awareness within the automotive industry. As the Founder and Managing Partner of Fifth Level Consulting, I promote the adoption and innovation of advanced vehicle technologies through speaking engagements, consulting, and research as we progress to level 5 fully autonomous vehicles.
