Amazon's Zoox Targets Late June for Paid Robotaxi Launch in Vegas
Zoox aims to roll out its commercial robotaxi service in Las Vegas by late June, with San Francisco next in line.
Amazon's autonomous vehicle unit Zoox is gearing up to launch a paid robotaxi service in Las Vegas by late June. The rollout hinges on local approvals and an exemption from NHTSA, the federal auto safety regulator.
If everything clears, Vegas becomes Zoox's first commercial market — with San Francisco slated to follow.
The move is a clear play to close the gap with rivals Waymo and Tesla, both of which have been pushing hard on autonomous ride-hailing. Zoox has been testing its custom-built, bidirectional robotaxis for years, but a revenue-generating service has remained elusive until now.
Two regulatory hurdles stand in the way. Local permits and a federal safety exemption aren't guaranteed, but Zoox is pressing ahead with an aggressive timeline. The robotaxi race just got another serious contender on the starting grid.