Robotaxis from Amazon’s self-driving vehicle biz Zoox are now on the streets of California.
Zoox’s vehicles are purpose-built for autonomous driving and do not feature any manual controls.
The company’s full-time employees are the first to take advantage of the autonomous shuttle service.
Jesse Levinson, Co-Founder and CTO of Zoox, commented:
“Getting to be the world’s first passenger in a robotaxi with no manual controls on open public roads, along with Aicha this past Saturday, was one of the highlights of my life.
But what made me happiest was seeing the beaming smiles on our team members when they completed their rides. I can’t wait for everyone to experience that magic.”
Currently, the only route the autonomous cab will take is between Zoox’s two offices in Foster City.
The taxi is all-electric and can reach up to 75 miles per hour. Zoox’s debut vehicle has seating available for four people in a relatively spacious cabin thanks to the removal of manual controls.
“This is an amazing milestone for Zoox and the autonomous vehicle industry as a whole,” said Aicha Evans, CEO of Zoox.
“It’s a testament to our vision and the dedication, focus, and hard work of our crew.”
Zoox hasn’t revealed how many vehicles it’s built so far; only that “dozens” have been made. The company is also yet to provide a timeline for when the public will be able to enjoy rides.
(Image Credit: Zoox)
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