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Robotaxi Rivalry Revs Up
| Amazon’s Zoox began offering robotaxi rides to the public in San Francisco yesterday, challenging Alphabet-owned Waymo’s Bay Area dominance and marking the first time two rivals are operating in the same city. Founded in 2014 by an Australian designer and the son of Apple’s chairman, Zoox was acquired by Amazon for roughly $1.3B in 2020. Zoox builds its boxy, all-electric, steering-wheel-free vehicles, while Waymo installs its technology into cars from manufacturers such as Jaguar and Chrysler. This summer, Amazon announced the conversion of a former California bus factory into a Zoox plant projected to make 10,000 robotaxis annually. Roughly 50 Zoox vehicles now operate between San Francisco and Las Vegas, where the company first began offering public rides in September. Rides in both cities are currently limited to select areas and are free, pending regulatory approvals. Waymo, which has charged for rides in San Francisco since 2023, expanded its routes last week to highways around San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix. 1440 Topics: Dive into our editor-curated resources on self-driving cars here. |
