Waymo has some competition in San Francisco — Amazon-owned Zoox recently launched in the City by the Bay.
Zoox, known for its toaster-sized, carriage-style vehicles that don’t have steering wheels, launched its Zoox Explorers program today. Explorers is an initial initiative that allows riders to try out Zoox for free, with the company hoping to gather feedback on the experience. Riders must download the Zoox app and add their name to the waiting list. Once selected for the Explorers service, riders can travel within select neighborhoods of San Francisco, including SoMa and Mission.
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“Zooks has been testing our autonomous technology in San Francisco since 2017,” Zoox CEO Aicha Evans said in a statement. “This is our home. A city of innovation and progress with an amazing mobility ecosystem that we feel Zoox can really complement. We have seen incredible interest in Zoox in this market and are excited about this first step in bringing our purpose-built robotaxi experience to more people.”
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Zoox was started in San Francisco in 2014, before Amazon acquired the company for $1.3 billion in 2020.
Zoox is currently operating a similar service in Las Vegas, where riders can ride for free at a limited number of locations as a precursor to a more expanded service. Zoox has had few safety incidents since its launch in Las Vegas in September, but was previously the subject of a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration investigation after sudden braking by vehicles led to accidents, as well as injuries to motorcyclists. Zoom officials said a program update fixed the ghost breaking issue.
Driverless vemo are already ubiquitous in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Phoenix. Waymo, part of the Google empire, recently announced that its vehicles will soon be able to drive on freeways in areas where it currently operates.