Ride in a self-driving Zoox robotaxi owned by Amazon - a man from Las Vegas shares his experience.
Zoox, the autonomous ride-hailing company owned by Amazon, is making significant strides in the development of its custom-built robotaxis. The company is preparing for a commercial launch of fully driverless, paid rides in Las Vegas by late 2025 [1][2].
The Zoox robotaxis, devoid of traditional driver controls such as steering wheels and pedals, are purpose-built from the ground up. They feature an advanced sensor suite, including lidar, radar, thermal imaging, microphones, and digital cameras, optimized for autonomous ride-hailing [2][3].
The interior of a Zoox robotaxi resembles a futuristic setting, with sliding bus-style doors, an aqua-gray cabin, and a touchscreen to start the ride. Passengers can initiate the ride by tapping the start button on the mounted touchscreen, and exit by tapping the screen and opening the sliding doors [4].
The company received a crucial federal exemption from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in August 2025, allowing it to legally operate and demonstrate its unique driverless vehicles on public roads [2][3]. This exemption closed a prior safety investigation regarding Zoox’s self-certification practices.
Testing for the robotaxis expanded from California (near Fremont headquarters) to Las Vegas and San Francisco, initially with employees-only rides, and now moving toward commercial service [4]. Key milestones include the beginning of on-road testing of custom-designed robotaxis without traditional driver controls in early 2023 and the planned commercial deployment for paid rides in Las Vegas by late 2025 [1][2][3].
Las Vegas is a central city for Zoox’s launch strategy, following earlier robotaxi testing on the Strip with safety drivers and plans to remove the safety driver for paid commercial rides [1][2]. This aligns with a nationwide push toward Level 4 autonomy in major U.S. cities [1][2].
The appeal of Zoox robotaxis is its feeling of public transport combined with a living room. Despite being a novelty in Las Vegas for now, Zoox robotaxis are making strides to become the next big thing in transportation [5]. During a ride, passengers might find themselves attempting to greet the empty void, demonstrating that years of taxi etiquette are difficult to shake off [6]. There is no small talk or awkward tip moment in a Zoox robotaxi [7].
A Reddit thread received positive reactions, with one user describing Zoox as futuristic. A user recently shared a clip of their ride in a Zoox robotaxi, offering a behind-the-scenes look [8]. Alex Hirschi, also known as our website, previously took a ride in a Zoox robotaxi [9]. The Zoox robotaxi announces the arrival with a calm voice [10].
Sources: 1. TechCrunch 2. Wired 3. Bloomberg 4. Reuters 5. CNET 6. Engadget 7. The Verge 8. Reddit 9. Our Website 10. Zoox
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