Zoox robotaxi service expands its offering
Zoox is positioning itself to become the second-largest player in the US robotaxi market, just behind Waymo, Google’s sister company. Its ‘purpose-built‘ vehicle, developed from the ground up for autonomous driving, features no steering wheel, pedals, or driver’s seat and can transport up to four passengers. Since September 2025, Zoox has operated its driverless ride-hailing service in the gambling metropolis of Las Vegas, and in November, the company also launched in San Francisco, California.
Zoox has now announced plans to expand its service in both cities. In Las Vegas, the startup has more than doubled the number of locations for its Zoox service, adding the Las Vegas Convention Centre and most major hotels on the Strip. The service will also introduce rides to events at the Sphere and T-Mobile Arena. Initially, tests will begin at both locations with Zoox employees as passengers before the service becomes publicly available later this spring. Preparations are also underway to connect Las Vegas’s Harry Reid International Airport (LAS). However, individual pick-up and drop-off locations are not yet available in Las Vegas: Zoox operates using fixed ride-hail zones.
In San Francisco, Zoox is quadrupling its operational area. Starting this spring, the service will be available to users across a large part of the city’s eastern half, including Marina, North Beach, Chinatown, Pacific Heights, and along the Embarcadero. Until now, the operational area in San Francisco was so limited that Zoox relied on a waiting list. The company now hopes to accommodate many new customers with the expanded coverage.
A test fleet of retrofitted Toyotas
In addition to expanding its service in Vegas and San Francisco, Zoox soon plans to launch its robotaxi service in two other cities: Austin, Texas, and Miami, Florida. In both cities, Zoox has operated its ‘retrofitted testing fleet’ since 2024. This fleet consists of modified Toyota Highlander SUVs, recognisable by their distinctive sensors on the roof and sides.
These retrofitted Highlander SUVs always have a safety driver at the wheel and are used, among other things, to map the cities and train Zoox’s AI for local traffic conditions. Once the AI drives safely in a given city, the software can simply be transferred to Zoox’s purpose-built vehicles, which lack a steering wheel. Additionally, this test fleet is used to accumulate millions of miles to demonstrate to authorities that the system is safe enough for driverless operation.
Initial test phase for employees
The rollout of Zoox in Austin and Miami will initially cover a small area, with robotaxis available only to Zoox employees, their families, and friends. The operational areas will expand as testing progresses. In the next step, a customer waiting list will open in Austin, followed by Miami. Once approved, selected test customers, known as ‘Zoox Explorers’, will be able to participate in a pilot programme in both cities.
Just a few days ago, Zoox announced a partnership with Uber: Zoox’s robotaxis will be available for booking via the Uber app in Las Vegas starting this summer, with the service set to launch in Los Angeles by mid-2027.
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