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Amazon's Toaster-Shaped Robotaxis Are Hitting the Road
Amazon has officially begun operating its pedal-less, driverless Zoox robotaxis on public roads in San Francisco and Las Vegas.
What: The electric vehicles, which resemble toasters, feature a symmetrical design allowing them to travel in either direction with four seats facing each other. Unlike Tesla’s Cybercab, the Zoox taxis have secured necessary regulatory approvals for public passenger service.
Why it matters: This deployment marks a major regulatory milestone for autonomous vehicle companies, showing that specific, purpose-built vehicle designs can gain traction ahead of general-purpose autonomous cars.
Decoder
- Robotaxi: An autonomous vehicle operating as a ride-hailing service without a human driver present.
Original article
Amazon's all-electric toaster-shaped Zoox taxis are the first robotaxis offering rides on the roads without standard driver features like a dashboard or pedals. They can drive in either direction and hold up to four passengers sitting facing each other. Amazon has started rolling out the vehicles across San Francisco and Las Vegas. Tesla's Cybercab lacks a steering wheel and pedals, but it has not received the same regulatory approval as Zoox to begin offering rides to the public.
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