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Amazon’s Zoox Launches Free Robotaxi Service in San Francisco

The free service targets waitlisted riders pending California approval to begin charging fares.

Overview

  • Access is limited to select San Francisco neighborhoods for users on a waitlist, using Zoox’s gondola-shaped vehicles built without a steering wheel or pedals.
  • Zoox is not charging fares while regulators review its application, a permit Waymo received in August 2023.
  • Waymo announced plans to expand to five additional U.S. cities—Miami, Dallas, San Antonio, Houston and Orlando—highlighting intensifying competition.
  • Zoox presents the free-ride phase as a way to familiarize riders with autonomous travel and to gather real-world performance data.
  • Amazon converted a former bus plant in Hayward, California into a Zoox factory targeting production of up to 10,000 robotaxis per year.