DEPLOYDatabase

Robot model

Waymo Driver 6th-gen

The sixth-generation Waymo Driver is Waymo's autonomous driving stack for fully autonomous robotaxi service.

Track Waymo Driver 6th-genGet notified of verified changes
Manufacturer
Waymo
Form factor
av
Maturity
commercial
Lifecycle
active
Deployments
15
Website
waymo.com ↗

Overview

The sixth-generation Waymo Driver is Waymo's autonomous driving stack for fully autonomous robotaxi service. The platform integrates 13 cameras, 4 lidars, 6 radars, and external audio receivers, with overlapping 360° coverage and a detection range up to roughly 500 meters in nominal conditions. Compared to the fifth-generation system on the Jaguar I-PACE, the sixth-gen system uses 42% fewer total sensors. Waymo says the per-unit hardware cost is targeted under $20,000, a more than 50% reduction from the 5th-gen system. Currently runs on the Zeekr RT (sold as the “Ojai” robotaxi, purpose-built without a steering wheel or pedals) and the Hyundai IONIQ 5; began fully autonomous commercial operations in February 2026.

Verified vs. claimed

Maturity stage
commercial(Commercially deployed with revenue-generating operations.)
Verified deployments
15 deployments on file
Sources on file
4 sources, view all

Key facts

Autonomy level

fully autonomous

Sensor suite

13 cameras, 4 lidars, 6 radars, external audio receivers

Detection range

up to approximately 500 meters in nominal conditions

Price

targeted under $20,000 per unit

Vehicle platforms

Zeekr RT (Ojai); Hyundai IONIQ 5

Specs

Lidar

4

Drive mode

fully_autonomous

Generation

6

Lidar count

4

Radar count

6

Camera count

13

Sensor suite

13 cameras, 4 lidars, 6 radars, external audio receivers

Autonomy level

fully autonomous

Vehicle platforms

Zeekr RT (Ojai); Hyundai IONIQ 5

External audio receivers

true

Detection range m nominal approx

500

Target unit cost usd under waymo stated

20000

Data & sources

Press releases

2

News coverage

1

Web sources

1

4 sources backing this record.View all →

Availability and pricing

Availability
Not sold (internal use)
Price
Not publicly disclosed
Units in field
1500 verified / 3500 claimed
Sales model
Not for sale
Lead time
Not disclosed

Accountability: Waymo has a Claim Integrity of 50% (1 of 2 public claims verified). See the industry ledger.

Deployments (15)

See all 15 deployments →

Recent activity

  • CreatedMay 25, 2026

Full change history →

Deployment-verified media (4)

PRIMARY SOURCE
Source: Waymo

Waymo's look at the rider experience during a fully driverless Waymo One trip, with no safety operator in the vehicle. Service is geofenced and permitted city by city.

From deployment: Phoenix

PRIMARY SOURCE
Source: Waymo

Waymo's guide to hailing a fully autonomous Waymo One robotaxi ride. Service is fully driverless (no safety operator) within geofenced areas; the Waymo Driver is the autonomous system, distinct from the vehicle.

From deployment: Phoenix

PRIMARY SOURCE
Courtesy of Waymo

Official Waymo video documenting Steve Mahan experiencing the world's first fully autonomous ride on public roads in 2015. The vehicle had no steering wheel, no pedals, and no test driver.

From deployment: Phoenix

Manufacturer-attributed media (2)

Manufacturer-supplied media at the model level. Not tied to an independently verified named-site deployment. Verification posture is product-showcase from the maker, distinct from the deployment-verified evidence in the section above.

PRIMARY SOURCE
Source: Waymo

Waymo's presentation of its safety research on the Waymo Driver, comparing its crash rates to human-driven benchmarks. The safety findings are Waymo's own analysis.

PRIMARY SOURCE
Source: Waymo

Waymo's explainer of how the Waymo Driver senses, solves, and moves (perception, prediction, and planning). The 'Driver' is the autonomous system, not the vehicle.

Runs on (1)

Regulatory filings (4)

  • 26E-026nhtsa recall · us_nhtsarecalled2026-05-06

    Applicant: Waymo

  • 25E-034nhtsa recall · us_nhtsarecalled2025-05-12

    Applicant: Waymo

  • 24E-049nhtsa recall · us_nhtsarecalled2024-06-10

    Applicant: Waymo

  • PE24-016nhtsa investigation · us_nhtsaactive2024-05-13

    Applicant: Waymo

Safety record

5 recalls and 5 incidents on record (5 moderate, 4 minor). Most recent: Jun 2026.

moderate
5
minor
4
Severity not classified
1
recall
5
collision
2
other
1
malfunction
1
regulatory action
1

Most recent: Jun 2026

Only active incidents are counted. Retracted incidents are excluded from this summary but remain reachable at their canonical URLs.

Incidents affecting Waymo Driver 6th-gen (10)

Includes incidents linked directly to this model or to deployments of it. Retracted incidents are excluded from this view but remain reachable at their canonical URLs.

Sources (4)

  1. Waymo blog: Meet the 6th-generation Waymo Driver (primary announcement, sensor suite + cost targets) · https://waymo.com/blog/2024/08/meet-the-6th-generation-waymo-driver/ · 2024-08-19
  2. Waymo blog: Beginning fully autonomous operations with the 6th-gen Driver (primary, commercial launch) · https://waymo.com/blog/2026/02/ro-on-6th-gen-waymo-driver/ · 2026-02-12
  3. CNBC: Waymo begins deploying next-gen Ojai robotaxis (third-party trade coverage of the launch) · https://www.cnbc.com/2026/02/12/waymo-begins-deploying-next-gen-ojai-robotaxis-to-extend-its-us-lead.html · 2026-02-12
  4. WardsAuto: Inside the 6th-generation Waymo Driver (third-party deep-dive on the hardware suite) · https://www.wardsauto.com/news/archive-auto-waymo-6th-generation-driver-autonomous-driving-hardware-robotaxi-lidar-ai/725519/ · 2024-08-29

Compare Waymo Driver 6th-gen

Common questions

What is Waymo Driver 6th-gen?
The sixth-generation Waymo Driver is Waymo's autonomous driving stack for fully autonomous robotaxi service. The platform integrates 13 cameras, 4 lidars, 6 radars, and external audio receivers, with overlapping 360° coverage and a detection range up to roughly 500 meters in nominal conditions. Compared to the fifth-generation system on the Jaguar I-PACE, the sixth-gen system uses 42% fewer total sensors. Waymo says the per-unit hardware cost is targeted under $20,000, a more than 50% reduction from the 5th-gen system. Currently runs on the Zeekr RT (sold as the “Ojai” robotaxi, purpose-built without a steering wheel or pedals) and the Hyundai IONIQ 5; began fully autonomous commercial operations in February 2026.
Is Waymo Driver 6th-gen actually deployed in the real world?
Yes. Waymo Driver 6th-gen is independently verified in real-world operation on the DEPLOY registry, confirmed at named deployment sites with primary sources: not a concept, render, or demo-only.
Who makes Waymo Driver 6th-gen?
Waymo Driver 6th-gen is made by Waymo, based in Mountain View, California, USA, founded in 2009.
Where is Waymo Driver 6th-gen deployed?
15 verified deployments of Waymo Driver 6th-gen are on the DEPLOY registry, including at Austin, Texas, USA, Los Angeles, California, USA, Phoenix, Arizona, USA.
What AI powers Waymo Driver 6th-gen?
Waymo Driver 6th-gen runs Waymo Driver. Each brain assignment is verified at the registry level via primary sources.
Methodology: Verified · 4 sources (2 primary) · last reviewed 2026-07-09

Verification posture

Verified

High confidence

Review state

Stable

Last reviewed 2026-07-09

Maturity + lifecycle

Maturity stage: commercial

Lifecycle: active

Architectural position

Cohort: av

Sources by quality tier

2
primary-company-ir
Company IR disclosure
1
secondary-established-publication
Established publication
1
unclassified
Unclassified source

The framework is documented at /methodology. Corrections at /corrections. Reviewer: DEPLOY editorial team.

Methodology surface for Waymo Driver 6th-gen.

Recent coverage

Waymo Driver 6th-gen in third-party press

Police intercept tipsy teens after Waymo snitches for shooting Orbeez out of the car

Jul 8, 2026

Waymo goes driverless in Las Vegas, with Denver, San Diego, Tampa next

Jul 8, 2026

Waymo starts driverless rides in San Diego, Las Vegas, Tampa, Denver

Jul 8, 2026