Zoox now testing its robotaxis in San Francisco

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Zoox’s purpose-built robotaxis don’t have traditional manual controls. | Source: Zoox

Zoox recently expanded its operations in California and Nevada. The company is now testing its robotaxis in San Francisco and expanded its Las Vegas geofence. Zoox is not offering public rides in either city yet, but it hopes to launch its Las Vegas operation in early 2025. 

“This marks our entrance with the robotaxi into our second commercial market,” said Aicha Evans, CEO of Zoox. “Since 2017, our test fleet has autonomously navigated San Francisco streets with a safety driver. Now that we’ve passed all critical safety measures, we are excited to begin testing our robotaxi in this wonderful city.”

Initial testing in San Francisco for the Amazon subsidiary’s robotaxi will occur in the SoMa neighborhood. During this testing phase, rides will not be available to the public. Instead, the service will be open to Zoox employees so the company can refine the riding experience, it said. As testing progresses, the company will expand its geofence to include additional neighborhoods throughout the city.

While the company’s test fleet has had a presence in San Francisco for some time now, its purpose-built robotaxi stands out from other autonomous vehicles on the road. 

“Zoox is the only company driving a purpose-built robotaxi on public roads without traditional manual controls,” said Jesse Levinson, co-founder and CTO of Zoox. “This expansion marks our third city for our robotaxi operations, following Foster City and Las Vegas. We’ve rigorously tested and validated our AI stack in multiple cities over the last seven years in preparation for the deployment of our robotaxi fleet. From day one, our robotaxis will be leveraging a deep history and understanding of this area.”

Zoox gears up for public rides in Vegas in 2025

Zoox said it is making progress towards welcoming its first public riders in Las Vegas in 2025. It recently deployed the robotaxi in a larger geofence in Las Vegas, including The Strip and surrounding areas.

The Strip is one of the most highly trafficked areas in Las Vegas and is full of complex driving scenarios, Zoox said. These include areas of more than eight lanes of traffic with multiple turning lanes, high speeds, heavy pedestrian traffic, and large-scale intersections. Deploying a robotaxi in this area, Zoox said, will provide invaluable learnings for its AI stack and service as it prepares Zoox for its first riders.

As the company prepares to welcome public riders in Las Vegas next year, it said it will do so through an early rider program. These select riders will have the opportunity to ride with Zoox for free, providing valuable feedback.

In addition to its operations in Las Vegas, San Francisco, and Foster City, Zoox is also testing its technology in Austin and Miami. The company said it plans to enter these two new cities with care. Zoox will first conduct a brief mapping mission. Once this is finished, it will begin deploying its retrofitted Toyota Highlander test fleet, equipped with safety drivers, in small areas near the business and entertainment districts of two cities. 

Waymo is the leader in the robotaxi space. In late October 2024, Waymo said it’s providing over 150,000 paid trips and driving over 1 million fully autonomous miles every week. It offers public robotaxi services in Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Francisco. Waymo also has a 37-square-mile operating area in Austin, but there’s a waitlist to ride and is not yet open to the general public.