Amazon’s Zoox announced today that it’s making its robotaxis available to all customers in Las Vegas. The company says it is the first to operate with a purpose-built autonomous vehicle in commercial service. And the news comes a few weeks after federal regulators gave the company the green light to expand the use of its robotaxis for demonstration purposes.
Zoox says that its toaster-shaped AVs will be available for passenger trips on the Las Vegas Strip starting today. The vehicles are limited to pickups and dropoffs at only a handful of destinations, including Resort World Las Vegas, AREA15, Topgolf, and other “resort and entertainment properties.” The company says it will be adding new destinations as it gradually expands it service.
Zoox’s robotaxis are fully driverless insofar as they lack traditional controls like pedals and steering wheels. Instead, the interior of the vehicle features bench seats positioned on either side, so passengers face each other while they ride. The exterior is covered in sensors, including cameras, lidar, and radar. The vehicles typically won’t exceed 45 mph when in operation.
Zoox is also inviting interested riders to join its waitlist for a robotaxi service in San Francisco. Zoox has a permit to test its driverless vehicles in two cities, San Francisco and Foster City, under certain circumstances, but has yet to receive a permit for a commercial robotaxi service in the state. The company is also testing vehicles in Los Angeles, Seattle, and Austin. Zoox plans to deploy a total of 50 vehicles across both Las Vegas and San Francisco. “Over time, this will scale to meet increased demand,” spokesperson Marissa Wigam said.
In Las Vegas, Zoox’s robotaxis will pickup and dropoff passengers from designated zones at its partnering destination. Resort World and AREA15, in particular, have created Zoox-only zones with a “Zoox concierge” onsite to help with passenger with questions they may have.
Rides can be requested in the Zoox app, where customers will find a bevy of Uber-like details, like wait times, license plate numbers of arriving vehicles, and options to submit feedback. For those in need of assistance, a “help” button in both the app and vehicle will connect them to remote operators.
Verge contributor Abigail Bassett tested Zoox’s robotaxis at CES earlier this year, and found the seats in particular to be too thin and uncomfortable. (Others who have tested the vehicles have made similar criticisms.) But aside from a few “pucker” moments, the robotaxi did relatively well. The route was predetermined, and with today’s announcement, it sounds like those waiting for a truly dynamic, go-anywhere, 24/7, purpose-built robotaxi service will have to wait a bit longer.
