Zoox and Waymo Expand Robotaxi Services Across US Cities
Robotaxi services are expanding rapidly in the US as companies like Zoox and Waymo increase their presence in various cities. Zoox, an Amazon-backed startup, is now testing its driverless ride-hailing operations in Houston and San Diego, bringing its total locations to 12.
The company will initially use retrofitted test vehicles for manual mapping and testing before deploying its purpose-built driverless robotaxis. This expansion comes after Zoox started offering paid services in Las Vegas in August.
In contrast, Waymo, an Alphabet subsidiary, is expanding its fully autonomous ride service to 14 cities by welcoming its first public riders in Denver, San Diego, and Tampa. The company plans to gradually increase access to riders in these three cities.