Zoox, owned by Amazon, is opening its robotaxis to the public in San Francisco, as the company moves toward commercial service and direct competition with Waymo.
Zoox robotaxis, custom-built vehicles with no steering wheel or pedals, have been roaming the streets of San Francisco for nearly a year. But until now, only employees and their friends and family could hail a ride.
This is not a large public or commercial announcement. Instead, the company plans to invite some people on its waiting list to join an early rider initiative known as Zoox Explorer. The program allows a select few to access the service and is free for now.
As Zoox adds robotaxis to its fleet and expands its service area, passengers will gradually be taken off the waiting list. Zoox said the goal is to completely eliminate the waiting list in 2026. The company did not say how many passengers would be allowed public access or how many were on a waiting list. We currently have about 50 robotaxis in Las Vegas and San Francisco.
Once granted access, riders will be able to use the Zoox app to pick up rides within San Francisco’s service area, which covers SoMA, the Mission, and the Design District.
Zoox’s service area is small compared to the 260 square miles where Waymo’s robotaxis operate, but opening to the public brings it closer to direct competition with Alphabet’s companies.
Zoox, which was acquired by Amazon in 2020, has been working on developing commercial robotaxis services for more than a decade. The company’s test vehicle, the Toyota Highlander, has been a common sight in the San Francisco Bay Area for years, equipped with sensors and self-driving software. But it’s the Foster City, Calif.-based company’s private robotaxis that are getting the public’s attention.
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“Zoox has been testing our self-driving technology in San Francisco since 2017,” CEO Aicha Evans said in a statement. “This is our home. It’s a city of innovation and progress, with a great mobility ecosystem that we feel Zoox can really complement. We’ve seen tremendous interest in Zoox in this market and are excited about this first step in bringing our purpose-built robotaxi experience to even more people.”
There are two hurdles between Zoox and commercial robotaxi services. Before the company can charge for rides in the state, it needs permission from the California Public Utilities Commission, which regulates ride-hailing.
Zoox also needs to convince the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to allow its custom-built robotaxis to be used for commercial service.
The company has made some progress at the federal level. In August, NHTSA granted Zoox an exemption from demonstrating its custom robotaxi on public roads. The decision settles a long-running debate over whether Zoox’s custom self-driving cars comply with federal motor vehicle safety standards, which impose requirements on vehicles such as the provision of steering wheels and pedals.
The exemption allowed Zoox to provide free rides in its robotaxis. Until NHTSA extends that exemption to commercial operations, it cannot charge for rides.
