Amazon’s autonomous vehicle division Zoox announced Tuesday its most ambitious expansion yet, revealing plans to grow its driverless taxi operations in San Francisco and Las Vegas while launching new testing programs in Austin and Miami.
The move puts Zoox in direct competition with Alphabet’s Waymo, which currently dominates the autonomous ride-hailing sector. Tesla also poses a significant threat with its substantial financial backing and manufacturing capabilities, currently operating limited service in Austin with plans for rapid nationwide growth throughout 2024.
In San Francisco, Zoox intends to dramatically increase its presence by targeting busy, popular areas including the Marina district, Chinatown, and the Embarcadero waterfront. The Las Vegas expansion will focus on reaching additional hotels and entertainment venues throughout the famous Strip corridor.
The Austin and Miami markets will see Zoox deploy its specially designed autonomous vehicles on public streets for the first time, initially offering rides exclusively to company employees and their relatives and friends. The service will gradually open to general public access later in 2024.
According to company data, Zoox has accumulated nearly 2 million miles of autonomous driving experience and provided transportation to more than 350,000 passengers. The company continues developing new technologies designed to minimize passenger wait times and enhance the overall riding experience in an increasingly competitive and rapidly changing industry.
