Amazon’s Zoox has officially opened its doors to the public in Las Vegas, rolling out a fully driverless ride-hailing service that puts it in direct competition with Waymo, Tesla, and Uber in the fast-growing robotaxi market.
Unlike many rivals that retrofit existing cars with autonomous technology, Zoox designed its vehicles specifically for robotaxi use. The boxy, electric shuttles feature no steering wheel or pedals. Instead, two bench-style rows face each other, with the vehicle able to drive in either direction thanks to bidirectional controls.
Each car can carry up to four passengers and run for around 16 hours on a single charge.
Passengers can hail rides through the Zoox app, available on iOS and Android. The service is initially free and limited to popular destinations along the Las Vegas Strip, including Resorts World, Area15, Topgolf, the Luxor, and New York-New York Hotel & Casino. Expansion across the city is expected in the coming months.
Zoox’s unique approach sets it apart from competitors, becoming the first U.S. operator to receive an exemption from federal safety standards for a vehicle without a steering wheel, allowing its futuristic design onto public roads.
Current production is limited to one vehicle per day, but Zoox aims to scale up to 10,000 robotaxis annually. About 50 vehicles are being deployed between Las Vegas and San Francisco this year.
The launch comes at a time when the robotaxi race is intensifying. Waymo already operates hundreds of thousands of paid rides weekly across five U.S. cities, including Phoenix and San Francisco. Tesla, meanwhile, rolled out its robotaxi program in Austin earlier this year, also launching a ride-hailing service with a safety driver in California soon after.
