California Employee Rides On Zoox Robotaxi On Public Roads Now

‍Amazon

Zoox, a privately held company that makes autonomous vehicles, says it has now begun testing self-driving robotaxis on public roads in California.

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Bidirectional driving capabilities and four-wheel steering make these vehicles capable of changing directions without the need for reversing, and they do not require steering wheels or pedals.

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Zoox executives indicated last week that the company had begun testing after receiving approval from the California Department of Motor Vehicles.

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All public roads in the state do not require the permit. In the short term, Zoox is limited to testing the system between its Foster City, California, headquarters and two nearby buildings on a one-mile public route at 35 mph. Although fewer than 100 of the company's test vehicles have been built, executives have not said how many are in their test fleet.

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During the weekend, Zoox employees rode in one of the company's vehicles under test conditions.

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The 9-year-old startup was acquired by Amazon in 2020, and the company did not share how it intended to use its technology at the time. As part of Zoox's urban autonomous transportation program, it announced its electric robotaxi in 2020.

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According to Zoox executives, the company won't reveal when it will start offering a commercial robotaxi service or expand testing beyond the limited routes and employees. During the spring, a shuttle service for staff members is expected to begin testing the vehicle with employees.

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GM

It was announced by General Motors' driverless division, Cruise, that it was also developing an autonomous shuttle called Origin that does not require manual control. It is clear that Alphabet and Cruise are not competitors

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Waymo, a driverless taxi service operated by Alphabet’s Waymo, has been approved to begin operation in California last year, charging passengers for the rides they take.

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Unlike Cruise, Zoox claims that its driverless vehicles, which don't have a steering wheel or any other manual controls for the driver, meet all the necessary safety standards for use on public roads and therefore do not require a waiver and will not be able to operate them as part of the company's fleet.

As a condition of California's autonomous vehicle testing law, all companies testing their vehicles on public roads are required to turn in a report every time their system disengages or a human driver has to take over for an autonomous system during driving, usually due to safety concerns or a software issue with the vehicle.

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In respect to these incidents, Zoox doesn't even refer to them as disengagements, instead referring to them as cases where the driver needs assistance or guidance from someone, so they are not reported to the state.

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“We have what’s called a ‘fusion center' where the vehicle can receive assistance when it needs help, either because it needs to do something it's not allowed to do, or because it does not know how to handle a given situation. A trained guidance operator monitors the output of the scene, then gives the vehicle guidance or permission to do something based on the output of the scene — however, the vehicle is still in control, driving the vehicle — or drops breadcrumbs on alternative routes, or pulls over in worst-case scenarios," Zoox CEO Aicha Evans said.