Zoox expands its service area in Las Vegas and San Francisco

Zoox, Amazon’s autonomous vehicle subsidiary for passenger transport, is carrying out a major expansion of the service area for its robotaxis in the US cities of Las Vegas and San Francisco, the first two markets where it is operational. The company also plans to start offering its robotaxi service in two more cities, Miami and Austin.

In this way, Zoox aims to establish itself as one of the leading robotaxi operators in the United States, alongside Waymo and the Tesla proposal. The company does, however, have an important differentiating factor compared with its direct competitors: to date, it is the only operator whose robotaxis are not conventional vehicles adapted for autonomous driving, as they have been developed from the outset without a steering wheel or pedals.

Since September 2025, Zoox has offered driverless rides in Las Vegas, and in November of that same year it also began operating in San Francisco. Just over six months after starting operations in Las Vegas, the company has now announced a major expansion of its service area in both cities.

More places to reach with the Zoox service

In Las Vegas, the operating area has more than doubled, now including the Convention Center and most of the major hotels on the Strip. In addition, rides to events at the Sphere and T-Mobile Arena will soon be available as well. Initial tests in these new locations will be carried out with company employees, and public service will open progressively over the course of this spring. Connections to Harry Reid International Airport are also being prepared, although for the time being the service works only through fixed pick-up and drop-off zones.

In San Francisco, meanwhile, the expansion of the service area is even more ambitious. The operating zone will be multiplied by four starting this spring, reaching neighborhoods such as Marina, North Beach, Chinatown, Pacific Heights and the Embarcadero area. Until now, coverage was so limited that the company maintained a waiting list, but with this expansion it will be able to serve many more users.

In parallel, Zoox plans to launch its service in Austin and Miami. In both cities, the company already has a test fleet made up of units adapted from the Toyota Highlander, equipped with sensors on the roof and sides. These vehicles, which always operate with a safety driver, are used to map the streets, train the artificial intelligence on local traffic and accumulate millions of kilometers that demonstrate the safety of the system.

Step by step

In a first phase, the robotaxis in Austin and Miami will be available only to Zoox employees, including family and friends. Later, the operating zone will be expanded and a waiting list will be opened for customers. The first external users, called Zoox Explorers, will take part in a pilot program.

Finally, it should be noted that Zoox also recently announced an alliance with Uber, which will make it possible, starting this summer, to book the company’s robotaxis operating in Las Vegas through the Uber mobile app. Additionally, Zoox also plans to bring its robotaxi service to Los Angeles by mid-2027.