Zoox updates its purpose-built robotaxi as it awaits federal approval
Amazon-owned Zoox showed a refreshed robotaxi design with cabin comfort changes as it seeks clearance for vehicles without pedals or steering wheels.
By Maya Lindqvist · Senior Technology Correspondent
2 min read
Zoox has shown an updated version of its custom-built robotaxi, a vehicle designed to carry passengers without a human driver or conventional driving controls. The refresh matters because the Amazon-owned company is preparing a production model while it waits for federal approval to operate vehicles that lack steering wheels and pedals, The Verge reported.
The company described the redesign as the next step for its boxy, two-way robotaxi, according to The Verge. Zoox is keeping the broad shape and passenger-first layout of the vehicle, including a cabin built around riders rather than a driver.
Zoox said the changes focus in part on comfort, The Verge reported. The cabin gets a brighter color treatment, with aloe-green seating and stone-gray flooring and trim, and the seats are getting additional cushioning.
A vehicle built without a driver’s seat
Zoox’s robotaxi differs from many autonomous ride-hailing efforts because it is not based on a conventional passenger car, The Verge reported. Other operators have commonly used recognizable vehicle models adapted with autonomous driving systems.
Zoox has instead built a vehicle meant only for autonomous service. The company says that approach lets it design around passengers, with no steering wheel, no pedals and no traditional driver position, according to The Verge.
The cabin uses two bench seats that face each other, creating a carriage-style layout. The vehicle’s symmetrical design also allows it to travel in either direction, which means it does not need to turn around in the same way a conventional car would, The Verge reported.
Free service is running in four cities
Zoox is already operating free robotaxi rides in San Francisco, Las Vegas, Austin and Miami, according to The Verge. The company is doing so as it waits for the federal government to act on an exemption request tied to safety rules for production vehicles.
Those rules require traditional vehicle controls such as pedals and steering wheels, The Verge reported. Zoox’s design depends on approval to produce and deploy a vehicle that omits those parts.
The updated design keeps Zoox’s unusual format at the center of its strategy. The Verge reported that the company made improvements to the vehicle while retaining the core shape and layout of its original robotaxi concept.
For Zoox, the refresh signals a focus on making its driverless vehicle more comfortable for riders without backing away from the purpose-built approach. The company’s next step remains tied to federal review of whether its control-free vehicle can move into broader production, according to The Verge.
This story draws on original reporting from The Verge.