Amazon's Zoox is expanding its robotaxi service in San Francisco, starting with a small radius in the Mission and SoMa for employees and friends. The service already operates in Las Vegas and plans to reach Austin and Miami. Waymo feels better than Uber and Lyft, but costs more, and it's unclear how Zoox will stack up.
Waymo is getting some competition in San Francisco. Amazon's robotaxi service Zoox is broadening its automated rideshare service to more riders, bringing it closer to full operational service in the city. Riders currently getting invited off the waitlist are friends and family of Zoox employees, but the company's fully open to public riders in Las Vegas as of a month or two ago, so hopefully not too far behind for full public offering in San Francisco. Plus, there are plans to expand Austin and Miami after San Francisco. Currently Zoox's radius is pretty small, just parts of the Mission and SoMa areas. We'll see how quickly they expand and what the timeline is for full launch, but these limited rides are definitely a step towards that full operational public launch. I love riding in Waymos. I think the experience is a cut above what you get in Uber and Lyft, obviously at a premium in a lot of cases. So we'll see what Zoox is like. Share this with someone you'd ride in these with and follow me for more Bay Area news.
