Zoox Robotaxi Begins Public Road Operations

Zoox, the Foster City, California-based automated driving developer owned by Amazon has finally begun testing its purpose-built robotaxi vehicle on public roads. This is the second such vehicle to get approval from the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) in recent weeks following the Cruise Origin. While Cruise is still focused on development and validation testing of the Origin in San Francisco, Zoox is using its vehicle to operate a shuttle service for employees at its headquarters.

The robotaxi was developed in-house by Zoox and has been a key part of its business plan from the time the company was founded in 2014. It’s a compact 4 seat vehicle that like the Origin is all electric and has sliding doors for entry and exit and carriage seating meaning the seats all face the center of the vehicle.

Unlike the Origin which has a dedicated front and rear end, the Zoox vehicle is symmetrical. The main structure is supplied by Italian company CPC Group and made of carbon fiber. The battery pack sits underneath along with the computers. At either end of the structure they attach an assembly provided by ZF that consists of an electric drive unit, suspension, steering and braking.

The ZF modules are interchangeable and provide for full redundancy of drive, braking and steering. If a fault is detected at either end, those wheels are locked in the straight ahead position and the other hand can safely move the vehicle. Climate control systems are also installed on either of the cabin giving each passenger their own cooling/heating zone. The sensor pods with lidars, radar and cameras on the upper corners of the vehicle are also interchangeable and can be quickly replaced if there is a fault detected. The vehicles are assembled in a facility in Fremont, California, just down the road from another well known EV manufacturer.

Zoox has been testing the robotaxi on closed course facilities for several years and has executed all of the testing necessary to pass relevant federal motor vehicle safety standards (FMVSS) for crash and occupant protection. Like the Origin, it lacks traditional control systems, outside mirrors and other components required for human drivers.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has yet to publish final updates to FMVSS that would enable such vehicles to be fully certified. Both Zoox and Cruise are still waiting on NHTSA to act on their respective requests for temporary waivers that enable them to deploy up to 5,000 units of the robotaxi and Origin. During a briefing call, Zoox CEO Aicha Evans stated that the company has consulted with regulators and legal counsel and doesn’t feel it needs a waiver or exemption from NHTSA to deploy its vehicle and it is fully self-certified. Cruise hasn’t responded to a request for comment on its interpretation of FMVSS requirements.

Because the robotaxi is symmetrical and has four wheel steering, it is able to maneuver in very tight locations. If there isn’t enough room to turn around, it can simply go in the opposite direction without sacrificing any performance.

Zoox has begun using the robotaxi to shuttle employees between two facilities in Foster City that are about a mile apart. Cruise has not provided much information about about the testing it is doing in San Francisco with the Origin but it is not carrying passengers (employees or otherwise) on any sort of service. Only engineers and technicians are currently riding in the vehicles.

If and when NHTSA does grant a waiver or finalizes the FMVSS updates, Zoox is likely to begin some pilot deployments with the robotaxi with Las Vegas likely to be the first commercial location, followed by San Francisco and Seattle where parent company Amazon is headquartered. At some point in the future, there will likely be a version of this vehicle outfitted with lockers to perform Amazon deliveries as well.