Amazon's Robotaxi Rivalry Heats Up with San Francisco Launch
Amazon's Zoox has expanded its robotaxi services to San Francisco, entering the territory of Alphabet Inc.'s Waymo. This move marks a significant step for Amazon in its autonomous driving ambitions, which began with the $1.2 billion acquisition of Zoox in 2020.
Zoox's vehicles are designed to operate without steering wheels or pedals, and can seat four people facing each other. The company has already clocked over 3 million autonomous miles and carried close to 1 million passengers, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.
The deployment in San Francisco is a crucial test for Zoox, as Waymo has an established presence there. To succeed, Zoox will need to demonstrate its ability to operate at scale in one of the most scrutinized autonomous driving markets.