Zoox begins testing its unique robotaxis in San Francisco

Zoox is a decade-old robotaxi developer taking a unique design approach to bringing driverless technology to the masses. Rather than converting existing EVs into robotaxis like its competitors, Zoox has designed and rolled out an entirely purpose-built EV without pedals or a steering wheel.

That initial route in Vegas consisted of a one-mile loop near Zoox's headquarters, offering the ability to transport as many as four passengers at speeds up to 35 mph (although the driverless EVs were designed to achieve speeds up to 75 mph). At the time, we reported that Zoox employees would conduct initial test rides before "expanding over the coming months."

Today, Zoox provided a fresh progress update, sharing that it has begun testing its robotaxis in San Francisco before offering driverless rides to those local residents.

Zoox shared that it has been testing its autonomous driving fleet in San Francisco since 2017, but always with a driver present. Per company CEO Aicha Evans, its bespoke driverless robotaxi has passed all necessary and critical safety measures to begin testing officially.

Zoox shared that initial testing will begin amongst employees only for validation purposes, similar to its initial operations in Foster City, California, about 30 minutes south. The robotaxi developer has chosen the SoMa neighbourhood near Union Square and Oracle Park but said that it will expand its geofence to include additional neighborhoods as testing progresses. Per Zoox co-founder and CTO Jesse Levinson:

"Zoox is the only company driving a purpose-built robotaxi on public roads without traditional manual controls. This expansion marks our third city for our robotaxi operations, following Foster City and Las Vegas. We've rigorously tested and validated our AI stack in multiple cities over the last seven years in preparation for the deployment of our robotaxi fleet. From day one, our robotaxis will be leveraging a deep history and understanding of this area."

In addition to the foundational tests to enable commercial operations in San Francisco, Zoox also shared details of its progress in Nevada, which now operates within an expanded geofence area that now includes the entire Las Vegas Strip and surrounding areas.

Like California, Zoox rides in Sin City are reserved for employees only for now but will soon be expanded to its staff's families and friends. Additionally, the company shared plans for a new "Zoox Explorers" program rolling out in early 2025, offering rides to non-employees without charging for the service. Full commercial operations for paid public rides are expected to begin in Las Vegas later in 2025.

Zoox did not share a timeline as to when commercial robotaxi operations could begin in San Francisco.