Amazon owned Zoox will begin offering paid robotaxi rides in Las Vegas next week, becoming the latest company to expand commercial autonomous transportation in the United States.
The service will start on Monday, following approval from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) allowing commercial deployment of Zoox’s purpose built driverless vehicles, which operate without steering wheels or pedals.
Until now, Zoox has provided free test rides in Las Vegas, San Francisco, Austin and Miami. Fares in Las Vegas will be calculated using a base rate plus time and distance, with prices expected to be similar to the “comfort” tier offered by traditional ride hailing services.
The NHTSA exemption permits Zoox to deploy up to 2,500 vehicles annually over the next two years. Regulators said the vehicles meet required safety standards but will remain subject to enhanced reporting requirements for incidents such as crashes and unexpected road stops.
Zoox joins a growing autonomous vehicle market led by Waymo, while Tesla has also begun rolling out its own robotaxi service.
The company has previously recalled software updates to address safety concerns, most recently in July, after one of its robotaxis experienced difficulty detecting heavy smoke at an emergency scene.
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