Articles tagged with "Zoox"
Zoox Becomes 2nd (or 3rd?) Robotaxi Operator in San Francisco - CleanTechnica
Zoox has become the second or possibly third robotaxi operator to launch in San Francisco, following Waymo and Cruise (which exited the market after a rare incident). The company recently expanded its autonomous ride-hailing service to San Francisco through its Zoox Explorers program, inviting members of the public from a waitlist to ride for free and provide feedback. Zoox’s service area covers major neighborhoods like SoMa, Mission, and the Design District, offering point-to-point rides with flexible destination options and walking directions for last-mile convenience. This launch marks Zoox’s second city deployment after starting operations in Las Vegas a few months earlier, where it offered free rides along the Strip using its uniquely designed, fully autonomous electric shuttles. Zoox emphasizes its long-standing presence in San Francisco, having tested autonomous technology there since 2017. CEO Aicha Evans highlighted the city as a hub of innovation and mobility that complements Zoox’s goals. The company is also pursuing partnerships with local businesses, such
robotautonomous-vehiclesrobotaxielectric-shuttlesmobility-technologyurban-transportationZooxZoox offers its first public autonomous rides in San Francisco - The Robot Report
Zoox has launched its Zoox Explorers program in San Francisco, offering the public free autonomous rides as part of a pilot to gather feedback and refine its robotaxi service before wider deployment. The company, which has been testing autonomous technology in San Francisco since 2017, invites early riders from its waitlist to experience rides within key neighborhoods such as SoMa, Mission, and the Design District. Zoox’s vehicle is uniquely designed for autonomous driving, lacking traditional controls like a steering wheel or driver’s seat, and features two rows of seats facing each other. Riders can hail the robotaxi via the Zoox app and select destinations within the service area, with drop-offs near the final location accompanied by walking directions. Zoox’s San Francisco initiative follows its earlier launch of a fully driverless ride-hailing service in Las Vegas, marking it as the first company to operate purpose-built robotaxis without safety drivers in that city. The company is also testing fleets in multiple other U.S. cities,
robotautonomous-vehiclesrobotaxiZooxself-driving-carsmobility-technologytransportation-innovationZoox to begin offering robotaxi rides to public in San Francisco
Zoox, an Amazon-owned autonomous vehicle company, is beginning to offer limited robotaxi rides to the public in San Francisco through its early rider program called Zoox Explorer. While the service is not yet a full commercial launch, select individuals from the waitlist will be invited to use the robotaxis for free within a small service area covering the SoMA, Mission, and Design districts. Zoox currently operates about 50 robotaxis in San Francisco and Las Vegas, and aims to eliminate the waitlist entirely by 2026 as it expands its fleet and coverage. The company’s custom-built, driverless vehicles—lacking steering wheels and pedals—have been tested in San Francisco since 2017. Zoox faces two main regulatory hurdles before commercial service can begin: obtaining a permit from the California Public Utilities Commission to charge for rides, and securing expanded approval from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to use its vehicles commercially. While NHTSA granted Zoox an exemption in
robotautonomous-vehiclesrobotaxiself-driving-technologyZooxmobilitytransportation-innovationZoox asks federal regulators for exemption to launch a commercial robotaxi service
Zoox, an Amazon-owned autonomous vehicle company, has formally requested a federal exemption to commercially deploy its custom-built robotaxis, which notably lack traditional vehicle controls such as pedals and a steering wheel. The company submitted a petition for a "555 exemption" to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), seeking relief from eight Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards that apply to passenger cars equipped with automated driving systems. NHTSA is currently reviewing the application and plans to publish a notice for public comment following its initial evaluation. This exemption request follows significant recent milestones for Zoox: earlier in September 2025, the company launched a public-facing robotaxi service in Las Vegas, and in August, NHTSA granted Zoox permission to demonstrate its vehicles on public roads under an earlier exemption. However, that previous exemption was limited to research and demonstration purposes, whereas the new application aims to expand the scope to allow full commercial operation of Zoox’s robotaxi service. The move represents a critical step toward
robotautonomous-vehiclesrobotaxiautomated-driving-systemfederal-regulationsNHTSAZooxZoox opens its Las Vegas robotaxi service to the public
Zoox, a company developing custom-built, all-electric autonomous robotaxis without steering wheels or pedals, has opened its Las Vegas robotaxi service to the public. While rides remain free for now, anyone over 18 can hail a Zoox vehicle via the company’s app at five designated pickup and drop-off points, including notable Las Vegas landmarks such as Resorts World, AREA15, Topgolf, New York New York, and Luxor. The service initially started as a limited pilot program earlier in 2023 and has since expanded its operational area along the Las Vegas Strip and nearby streets. Zoox plans to add more destinations in the coming months but must obtain regulatory approval before charging fares. The regulatory hurdle relates to a recent National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) decision allowing Zoox to demonstrate its unique vehicles on public roads despite lacking traditional vehicle controls like steering wheels. However, this exemption currently only permits demonstrations, not commercial operations. Zoox is also preparing for a similar public launch
robotautonomous-vehiclesrobotaxielectric-vehiclestransportation-technologymobilityZooxZoox taps ex-UberPool exec’s startup for routing software help
James Cox, former head of UberPool, founded The Routing Company after leaving Uber in 2019, aiming to apply ride-sharing routing technology to robotaxis. Over five years, his startup has facilitated 3 million trips across multiple U.S. states and countries by helping transit agencies efficiently match riders with vehicles. Recently, The Routing Company secured its first robotaxi client, Zoox, an Amazon-owned autonomous vehicle company. Zoox will license The Routing Company’s routing software and onboard five of its engineers to enhance the efficiency and scalability of its robotaxi service. Cox will also serve as a senior advisor to Zoox’s chief product officer while remaining CEO of his startup. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. This partnership reflects a broader trend of robotaxi firms collaborating with external technology providers to accelerate fleet deployment and operational efficiency. Zoox plans to expand its early-rider program to San Francisco and launch paid public rides in Las Vegas later this year. Cox emphasized that route optimization software is a critical
robotautonomous-vehiclesrobotaxirouting-softwaretransportation-technologyride-sharingZooxIn US Autonomous Robotaxi Wars, It's Zoox 1, Tesla 0 - CleanTechnica
The article contrasts the current state of autonomous robotaxi development between Tesla and competitors like Zoox and Uber. Tesla recently revealed a futuristic robotaxi design resembling a low-slung two-seater sports coupe, which critics argue is impractical for a robotaxi due to its limited passenger and cargo space and difficult access. In contrast, companies like Zoox, backed by Jeff Bezos, focus on more functional designs—boxy vehicles with easy access, no driver controls, and optimized for passenger comfort and utility. Zoox notably received the first-ever Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) exemption for American-built driverless vehicles, allowing it to operate fully autonomous cars without steering wheels or pedals on public roads. Uber, meanwhile, is cautiously exploring autonomous vehicle (AV) technology through partnerships and pilot programs rather than committing heavily to building its own fleet of robotaxis. Uber’s CFO acknowledges that AVs are currently unprofitable, and the company is experimenting with various business models like revenue-sharing and software licensing
robotautonomous-vehiclesrobotaxiTeslaZooxdriverless-carsFMVSS-exemptionFederal regulators give Zoox an exemption for its custom-built robotaxis
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has granted Zoox, an Amazon-owned company, an exemption to demonstrate its custom-built robotaxis on public roads, resolving a prior investigation into whether Zoox had circumvented federal motor vehicle safety standards. These standards typically require vehicles to have manual controls such as steering wheels and pedals, which Zoox’s autonomous vehicles lack. Zoox had self-certified compliance in 2022, but NHTSA questioned this and launched an investigation in March 2023. Despite the probe, Zoox continued testing its vehicles—without traditional controls—near its Fremont, California headquarters and expanded testing to other locations, including limited rides for employees and early public riders in Las Vegas. The exemption allows Zoox to demonstrate but not yet commercially operate its robotaxis. This decision aligns with NHTSA’s new national framework, the ADS-Equipped Vehicle Safety, Transparency and Evaluation Program, designed to streamline the approval process for autonomous vehicles lacking manual controls. The framework facilitates
robotautonomous-vehiclesrobotaxisZooxNHTSA-exemptionvehicle-safety-standardsself-driving-technologyZoox issues second robotaxi software recall in a month following collision
robotrobotaxiautonomous-vehiclessoftware-recallself-driving-technologyZooxcollision-safetyAmazon’s Zoox to start testing AVs in Atlanta, following Waymo
robotautonomous-vehiclesself-driving-technologyrobotaxiZooxWaymotransportation-technologyAmazon-owned Zoox issues recall following robotaxi crash
robotautonomous-vehiclesrobotaxiZooxself-driving-technologyvehicle-safetytransportation-technology