Zoox Bets on Novelty in Autonomous Car Wars

In San Francisco, a new rivalry is emerging in the autonomous vehicle sector between Amazon's Zoox and Alphabet's Waymo. Zoox, founded in 2014, is distinguishing itself with unique, custom-built vehicles designed without traditional controls, often described as "toasters on wheels." This approach contrasts with Waymo, the established leader since 2009, which operates a larger fleet of retrofitted vehicles.

Zoox is focusing on community engagement and rider experience in San Francisco, offering free rides and hosting local events to build brand awareness and goodwill. The company recently began charging for rides in Las Vegas, its first paid service, and is awaiting state regulatory approval to do the same in California.

While Zoox operates about 100 autonomous vehicles and completes around 10,000 rides weekly in the U.S., Waymo boasts nearly 4,000 vehicles and over 500,000 rides weekly. Tesla has also announced plans for its driverless Cybercab, signaling a heating up of the autonomous vehicle race globally, with services also emerging in London.