Amazon-backed Zoox offers robotaxi rides in San Francisco

Zoox has started letting select users in San Francisco hail its driverless vehicles, putting the Amazon-owned robotaxi service in direct competition with Alphabet’s Waymo in the city.

Riders can sign up for Zoox’s “Explorers” program to take free rides in its autonomous vehicles within SoMa, Mission, and Design District neighborhoods.

Zoox, acquired by Amazon in 2020 for US$1.3 billion, designs and operates custom-built robotaxis with no steering wheel.

The company will gradually add users to the program based on location and fleet size, with plans to eventually remove the waitlist.

Zoox launched public robotaxi rides in Las Vegas in September 2024, and operates a fleet of 50 vehicles between San Francisco and Las Vegas.

Zoox also tests its autonomous vehicles in Seattle, Austin, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Washington, D.C.

🔗 Source: CNBC

🧠 Food for thought

Implications, context, and why it matters.

Zoox cannot yet charge for rides pending state and federal approvals

CPUC rules require a Phase I deployment permit to bill passengers. Zoox lacks that permit, so San Francisco rides stay free 1 2.
To move from free to paid service, Zoox needs a CPUC deployment permit and a broader National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) exemption that goes beyond demonstration use 2.
Service today covers only SoMa, the Mission, and the Design District, which is far smaller than Waymo’s 260 square miles. Zoox plans wider coverage over time 2.

California fleet charging depots scale up

Several firms are putting in medium and heavy duty EV charging hubs. They use a service model where a third party finances the site; builds it; runs it; then sells access through contracts. Recent moves include EV Realty’s $75 million expansion and Renewable Properties’ $20 million Bay Area depot 3 4. (EV Realty develops fleet charging infrastructure; Renewable Properties develops clean energy projects.)
Many fleet operators need dedicated charging with reserved capacity, security, and multiyear contracts, which pushes demand for industrial sites near routes 3.
Developers pick infill sites near major corridors. They also line up grid capacity from utilities like Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) 4 3. Examples include a Richmond hub with a $3 million grant from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (the region’s air pollution regulator) and a privately financed San Bernardino depot 4 3. San Francisco won a $5 million California Energy Commission (CEC) grant to expand municipal EV charging 5.