Zoox Self-Driving Taxis Launch in Miami and Austin, Accelerating Nationwide Expansion

Amazon-owned autonomous driving company Zoox recently announced it will launch dedicated autonomous ride-hailing tests in Miami and Austin, while simultaneously expanding its service areas in San Francisco and Las Vegas. Its unique vehicle—featuring no steering wheel or pedals and equipped with face-to-face seating—has already provided over 350,000 rides in the latter two cities. Services in the new cities will initially roll out in limited zones and be available only to employees and their friends and family, with public access coming “soon.” The vehicles now include new features such as Bluetooth audio streaming and smart ambient lighting. Zoox also plans to extend its Las Vegas service to the airport and the Strip’s hotel district, while quadrupling its coverage area in San Francisco. In contrast, Tesla’s autonomous ride-hailing service remains confined to a small-scale pilot in Austin, lagging behind Zoox in expansion pace.