Amazon-backed self-driving start-up, Zoox, is set to ramp up production of its robotaxis next year as part of preparations for a broader commercial rollout across the United States. According to the Financial Times, the company will establish a new facility in California’s Bay Area to boost capacity beyond its current small-scale production site in Fremont. Zoox co-founder, Jesse Levinson, disclosed that the expansion will allow the company to transition from testing to mass deployment of its custom-built autonomous vehicles.
Currently, Zoox operates about two dozen specially designed test vehicles across six U.S. cities. The new facility is expected to support a gradual scaling of its fleet, positioning the company to produce “hundreds and then thousands” of robotaxis. As part of its commercial plans, Zoox aims to begin offering public rides in Las Vegas this year, with San Francisco to follow. The initiative marks a significant step in Amazon’s efforts to penetrate the autonomous mobility market, leveraging Zoox’s technology to challenge competitors like Waymo and Tesla.
The push for expansion aligns with recent regulatory developments under the Trump administration, which have signaled a more relaxed approach to autonomous vehicle rules. Proposals include exempting certain self-driving vehicles from standard safety requirements and loosening mandatory incident reporting guidelines. These changes are expected to reduce operational hurdles for companies like Zoox as they accelerate commercialization efforts in the evolving robotaxi industry.
However, challenges remain as federal regulators continue to scrutinize the safety of autonomous vehicles. Investigations into the operations of self-driving units from General Motors’ Cruise, Google’s Waymo, and Zoox have previously been launched, reflecting ongoing concerns about real-world performance. Neither Amazon nor Zoox responded to media inquiries at the time of reporting, but the company’s latest moves suggest growing confidence in its readiness to take autonomous ride-hailing mainstream.