Amazon.com Inc.’s autonomous-vehicle business has started operating a driverless robotaxi on the streets of Las Vegas in a step toward its goal to eventually carry paying passengers.
(Bloomberg) — Amazon.com Inc.’s autonomous-vehicle business has started operating a driverless robotaxi on the streets of Las Vegas in a step toward its goal to eventually carry paying passengers.
Zoox began shuttling its employees on a one-mile stretch of public roads around the company’s Nevada office on June 16, according to an announcement on its website Tuesday. The vehicle — which has no steering wheel, inward facing seats and no pedals — can carry four people and travel at up to 35 miles per hour. Zoox also plans to expand hiring in the city in roles focused on charging and maintaining the robotaxis.
Read More: Waymo, Cruise Robotaxis Are All Over San Francisco: Tech Daily
A number of startups backed by big-name tech and automotive companies are racing to capture the nascent market for autonomous ride-hailing. In San Francisco, Alphabet Inc.’s Waymo and General Motors Co.-owned Cruise are running limited commercial services for members of the public. In Phoenix, Waymo can charge a fee to the public, while Cruise can charge in San Francisco.
Zoox already is operating an employee pilot program on a short stretch of road in Foster City, California. It doesn’t yet offer rides to the public and can’t charge fees in any state, but the company said the Las Vegas announcement is a step toward its commercial launch.
Zoox manufactures the autonomous shuttle at its own facility and also does testing on a private track in the Bay Area that simulates real-world conditions. It continues to test retrofitted combustion engine cars, with safety drivers, on public roads.
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