Zoox offers free ‘robotaxi’ rides in San Francisco
Amazon's "Zoox" is competing with Waymo and others in a tight robo-taxi race, even though people have expressed concerns about self-driving vehicles.
The trips will be free because the Amazon-owned company has still not received permission to operate its vehicles for commercial services. The review is part of a program that allows passengers who have downloaded the “Zoox app” and joined a waiting list to provide feedback on robotaxi rides before they become more widely available.
Zoox said its vehicles will offer more dynamic, “point-to-point” travel within its designated service area in San Francisco.
The experience will likely be similar to Waymo: Customers will be able to book a ride anywhere in Zoox’s service area, which includes most of SoMa, the Mission, and the Design District.
Since the service is live, passengers can select their destination, enter a street address, tag a pin, or choose from a list of suggested points of interest. Walking directions to their final destination will be provided if needed.
“We have seen incredible interest in Zoox in this market and are excited about this first step to bring our purpose-built robotaxi experience to more people,” – Aicha Evans, Zoox’s chief executive, said in a statement.
Zoox employees have been testing the robotaxi, but this will be the first time the rides will be available to the general public in America’s tech capital. The company has not announced when it plans to start charging for its robotaxi services in San Francisco.
Zoox has a fleet of “about 50 robotaxis” across both San Francisco and Las Vegas, said spokesperson Marisa Wiggam, who also declined to disclose the number of people on its waitlist.
People are increasingly using self-driving vehicles, but robo-taxis have also raised concerns about job losses, safety, and privacy. Santa Monica residents complained about the beeping sound “Waymo” makes. In San Francisco and Los Angeles, people vandalized and set cars on fire. And after Waymo ran over a beloved cat, KitKat, San Franciscans expressed more concerns about the safety of self-driving taxis.
Zoox has been testing its robotaxis in other major cities, including Los Angeles, Seattle, Austin and Miami. Tech giant Amazon bought Zoox in 2020 for more than $1.2 billion.
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