Amazon’s robotaxi company Zoox has officially launched its ride-hailing service in Las Vegas, opening free rides to the public after two years of testing in the city.
The driverless cars were initially limited to employees, then to friends and family, before September 10’s full launch. Anyone with the Zoox app can now request a ride between five set destinations on the Strip, including Resorts World, Luxor, and New York-New York. The service will cover trips up to three miles and carry a maximum of four passengers.
Zoox says rides will remain free for the first few months to raise awareness. When pricing begins, fares are expected to be similar to traditional taxis and ride-hailing companies like Uber and Lyft. The company is currently operating about 50 vehicles between Las Vegas and San Francisco, with most located in Nevada.
Amazon-backed expansion
Amazon acquired Zoox for $1.2 billion in 2020, and the company has since worked to differentiate itself from competitors by designing and manufacturing its own vehicles at a former bus plant in Hayward, California. Zoox aims to produce as many as 10,000 robotaxis per year as it enters more markets.
The Las Vegas launch is Zoox’s first major step toward competing with Waymo, a Google spin-off already providing driverless rides in cities including San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Atlanta, and Austin. Tesla is also testing its long-hyped robotaxi service in Texas.
Zoox plans to expand to San Francisco for public use in 2026, followed by Austin and Miami.
This comes weeks after Elon Musk’s EV company, Tesla, launched its Robotaxis in Texas back in June.
