As of September 24, Waymo operates robotaxi services across 15 U.S. cities, averaging 500,000 paid rides weekly. Fleet tracking data reveals that roughly 80% of its 4,000 vehicles are concentrated in California and Texas, driven by a rapid 49% expansion in Texas powered by the introduction of Chinese-built Ojai minivans.
Geographic Concentration and Rapid Growth in Texas
Waymo’s commercial footprint has expanded significantly over the past two years, moving from just three active markets in September 2024—Phoenix, Los Angeles, and San Francisco—to 15 cities nationwide by late. Despite this broad footprint, the actual distribution of hardware remains heavily skewed. Approximately 80% of Waymo’s total fleet of roughly 4,000 autonomous vehicles is deployed across California and Texas.
Texas has emerged as the primary growth engine for the Alphabet-backed company. State vehicle registrations and data from the Texas Autonomous Vehicle Fleet Tracker show that Waymo had 1,102 autonomous vehicles registered in the state as of September 24. This represents a 49% surge over a three-week window in September, following a relatively stable summer where the Texas fleet hovered between 600 vehicles in June and over 700 at the end of August.
Commercial operations in Texas began in Austin in March 2025 through a partnership integrating Waymo’s service into the Uber app. Since that initial launch, operations have scaled outward to Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio.
The Ojai Minivan and the Chinese Manufacturing Supply Chain
The recent surge in Texas and broader market expansion are heavily tied to a new vehicle platform: a modified Zeekr RT minivan branded by Waymo as the “Ojai.” Built on the SEA-M platform designed by Zeekr—a brand owned by Geely Holding Group, which also owns Volvo—the Ojai now makes up about a third of Waymo’s total fleet in Texas.
The logistics of deploying the Ojai involve an international supply chain. Base vehicles are shipped to the United States without any Chinese connected-car technology installed onboard. Upon arrival, the vehicles are transported to Waymo’s Arizona facility, where technicians integrate the company’s sixth-generation self-driving system.
Inside the cabin, the Ojai features an interior built for heavy commercial use, an upgraded rider interface, and Google’s Gemini AI acting as an in-car assistant for riders. Waymo is utilizing the platform to drive down operational costs and pursue long-term profitability, even as current U.S. trade policy introduces financial friction.
Tariffs and Import Projections
Vehicles manufactured in China face steep import tariffs under current U.S. trade policy, driving up the cost for every Ojai Waymo brings into the country. Despite these financial penalties, the company is absorbing the overhead to accelerate deployment.
According to a September report from New York-based research firm MoffettNathanson, which monitors imports via shipping records, Waymo is on track to import 5,100 Ojai vehicles into the United States by the end of the year. In addition to Texas, these incoming vehicles are slated to bolster fleets in Florida—where Waymo currently operates in three cities—and newer expansion markets such as Las Vegas.
