All posts tagged: Ojai

You can now ride a Chinese EV in the US as Waymo opens Zeekr Ojai to all

You can now ride a Chinese EV in the US as Waymo opens Zeekr Ojai to all

Published by skeptic

The next-generation Waymo Ojai, built by Zeekr. Source: Waymo 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. Advertisement – scroll for more content A Chinese EV you can’t buy — but can now ride The Ojai’s base vehicle is manufactured by Zeekr, the premium EV brand owned by China’s Geely Holding Group, on the …

Bald eagle believed to be Jackie healing in Ojai

Bald eagle believed to be Jackie healing in Ojai

Published by Jenni Sidey

Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. By signing up, you confirm you are 16+, will receive newsletters and promotional content and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time. The Ojai Raptor Center in Southern California is currently caring for Adult Bald Eagle 26-519, who is believed to be the internet-famous eagle mom named Jackie. On July 18, the San Dimas Raptor Rescue found the eagle weak, vulnerable, and unable to fly. The eagle was transferred to and is being evaluated by the Ojai Raptor Center’s veterinary team.  The bird is underweight but alert, and is even perching and eating with assistance. Test results should come back within the next few days to confirm or rule out any suspected issues. Adult Bald Eagle 26-519 is believed to be an eagle named Jackie. Image: Ojai Raptor Center. “Wildlife medicine is different from working with domestic animals in many ways. Our patients don’t have …

A driver reportedly using Tesla’s autopilot systems crashed into home, killing resident

A driver reportedly using Tesla’s autopilot systems crashed into home, killing resident

Published by skeptic

Tesla, one of several businesses owned by now-trillionaire Elon Musk, has been implicated in another deadly crash involving the vehicles’ autopilot driving mode. On June 19, a driver in a Tesla Model 3 crashed into a Texas home, killing a 76-year-old female resident. According to Harris County Sheriff’s authorities, the driver was using “an automated driving assistance system” that failed to remain in its lane and instead veered into the residence at a deadly speed. The driver did not show signs of drug or alcohol impairment, according to reports. SEE ALSO: SpaceX stock price: Where it stands, what you need to know It’s not yet confirmed if the driver had attempted to break or disengage the autopilot mode before the crash. Mashable Light Speed Tesla has faced several legal fights over its fleet of self-driving vehicles and robotaxis, including a 2025 decision that found the company partially responsible for a fatal autopilot-related crash in Florida. Despite regulator pushback, the company has fought to retain the right to refer to its systems, including Tesla’s Full Self-Driving Capability …

Podcast: Tesla Robotaxi numbers, Ferrari’s controversial Luce launches, Waymo Ojai, and more

Podcast: Tesla Robotaxi numbers, Ferrari’s controversial Luce launches, Waymo Ojai, and more

Published by skeptic

In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss Tesla’s alarming Robotaxi numbers, Ferrari’s controversial Luce, Waymo Ojai, and more. Today’s episode is sponsored by GM Energy. If you want to experience more resilience and control over your home energy, the GM Energy Home System adds stationary battery power for always-ready backup energy for your home, and the GM Energy PowerBank takes in energy from the grid and stores it for when you need it most. Learn more at gmenergy.gm.com The show is live every Friday at 4 p.m. ET on Electrek’s YouTube channel. Special: This week, the podcast will start at 3 p.m. ET because Fred is still in Italy after the launch of the Luce. Advertisement – scroll for more content As a reminder, we’ll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in. After the show ends at around 5 p.m. ET, the …

Here Comes Ojai, Waymo’s New Chinese-Made Robotaxi

Here Comes Ojai, Waymo’s New Chinese-Made Robotaxi

Published by skeptic

There’s a new autonomous vehicle in town, or at least in the towns of Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Phoenix. Starting today, Alphabet self-driving vehicle developer Waymo will start picking up members of the public in its new Ojai vehicles (pronounced “oh hai”)—pale blue boxy minivans studded with sensors and complete with steering wheels, even though they’re designed to travel without drivers. For now, the rides in these new cars, which can be summoned through Waymo’s app, will be free. It’s been a long road for the vehicle, first announced by Waymo in 2021 and tested on public streets since 2024. It’s also a weird time for Waymo: The self-driving-vehicle company, which is trying to expand quickly across the US and the world, shut down service in six US cities last week due to issues with how its vehicles react to flooding. It has also suspended its highway driving program due to concerns about operations near construction zones. WIRED breaks down what’s new and interesting about Ojai, and the complex system that powers it. Why? …

Inside Waymo’s New Ojai Robotaxi: More Space, Sliding Doors and Smarter AI

Inside Waymo’s New Ojai Robotaxi: More Space, Sliding Doors and Smarter AI

Published by skeptic

Waymo’s self-driving vehicles have been roaming the streets in more than a dozen cities. Now, the company is opening the doors of its newest fleet to select passengers. Called the Ojai (pronounced like “Oh, hi”), the modified Zeekr vehicles are boxier and more spacious than the Jaguar I-Pace that Waymo has been using over the last few years. The Ojai has a flat floor, more legroom and higher ceilings, as well as dual-sliding doors that give you more room when entering and exiting the car. Overall, it feels a lot like a roomy van on the inside. The Ojai is equipped with the sixth-generation Waymo Driver, which is designed to handle harsher weather conditions, including snow — meaning it’ll be easier for Waymo to expand to more cities. The sixth-generation self-driving tech can detect more details and gauge objects in a variety of lighting and weather conditions, according to Waymo. Watch this: Testing Waymo’s Safe Exit Feature in a Self-Driving Taxi 05:29 Fully autonomous rides in the Ojai are opening up starting in San Francisco, Los …

Waymo starts offering rides in new Ojai robotaxi with 6th-gen Driver

Waymo starts offering rides in new Ojai robotaxi with 6th-gen Driver

Published by skeptic

Waymo is beginning to offer select riders trips in its new purpose-built Ojai robotaxi, debuting the company’s 6th-generation Driver hardware across San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix. Trips will be free for a limited time. The Ojai represents a significant step for Waymo, which has now surpassed 20 million fully autonomous trips across 11 cities — a scale that no competitor comes close to matching. Waymo’s purpose-built robotaxi enters service The Ojai is Waymo’s first purpose-built robotaxi — designed from the ground up as a rider-first vehicle rather than a retrofitted consumer car. Built by Zeekr and then outfitted with Waymo’s autonomous driving hardware at the company’s Arizona factory, the van-style vehicle features an expansive cabin with increased legroom, three large adaptive screens for rear passengers, charging ports, and cup holders. Accessibility was clearly a priority. The Ojai features a flat floor and low step-in height for easier entry and exit, braille markings, grab bars, and other features designed for riders with disabilities. One of Waymo’s press images shows a visually impaired rider with a …

7 new things to do in Ojai, like roam in an oasis of giant tortoises

7 new things to do in Ojai, like roam in an oasis of giant tortoises

Published by Sam Flores

First, let’s get this straight: All tortoises are turtles, but not all turtles are tortoises. The Turtle Conservancy, a 90-acre property on the outskirts of Ojai, is dedicated to the protection and proliferation of these creatures worldwide. The nonprofit organization was founded by Eric Goode and Maurice Rodrigues in 2005. The Ojai site is not open to the public. But members of the conservancy and guests at the Ojai Valley Inn and just-opened Hotel El Roblar can book tours for a fee. And those tours can be fascinating. “We’re now at 48 different species and more than 500 turtles on site,” Education director Manci Rasmussen told four of us one recent morning. As we roamed the tree-shaded property, Rasmussen explained how some turtle species can vocalize beyond human hearing range, see beyond the human spectrum, pause their pregnancies until their health is better, live 190-plus years and last a year without food or water. Yet thanks to human habits, many species are endangered. We also learned firsthand that radiated tortoises like shell rubs. Before the …

Looking for a reset? Try these 6 spiritual spots in Ojai to recharge

Looking for a reset? Try these 6 spiritual spots in Ojai to recharge

Published by Sam Flores

There are many reasons to visit the Ojai Valley — the hiking, the vistas, the sweet-smelling orange groves. But for the last 100 years, this small mountain town an hour east of Santa Barbara has been drawing spiritual seekers to its beautiful environs for meditation, inspiration and the dream of building a new, more peaceful civilization. Ojai’s modern spiritual roots can be traced back to 1922, when the philosopher and teacher Krishnamurti and his brother Nitya arrived in the rural mountain town with the hope that its warm, dry climate would soothe Nitya’s tuberculosis. The brothers enjoyed their time in the peaceful, scenic valley so much they decided to keep a permanent residence there and Krishnamurti continued to speak and teach in Ojai until his death in 1986 at the age of 90. Krishnamurti was already a well-known spiritual teacher when he arrived in Ojai, and his presence drew early 20th century seekers to the valley to attend his lectures. The area’s reputation as a spiritual center received a further boost in 1924 when the …

The best staycations near L.A.: Idyllwild, Palm Springs, Ojai and more

The best staycations near L.A.: Idyllwild, Palm Springs, Ojai and more

Published by Sam Flores

When my wife and I want to escape the hustle and bustle of L.A., we usually head to a nearby campground in Angeles National Forest. When I asked her if she wanted to take a little staycation to a cute chalet near Idyllwild, she did not hesitate to affirm she would like to sleep on a mattress indoors. Hicksville Pines has 10 themed rooms to choose from, including Christmas Town, whose guests can dress up in a provided Santa suit and enjoy a fireplace; the Dolly, an homage to everyone’s favorite blond country icon, where you can play a themed pinball game (but promise not to take her man), enjoy Dolly Parton movies and sleep in a giant bed; and the Honeymoon Suite, where you can feel the motion of the ocean in the king-sized bed (regardless of what you do in it) and take a dip in the heart-shaped tub. We chose the “Nerds! Nerds! Nerds!” room that comes equipped with a Pong table (where I lost several times to my wife) and six …