Zoox Expands Robotaxi Testing; Waymo Advances Commercial Rollout
Amazon's Zoox and Alphabet's Waymo are intensifying their efforts to commercialize autonomous ride-hailing in the U.S. Zoox is expanding its testing into Houston and San Diego, bringing its total locations to 12, while planning a transition from retrofitted vehicles to purpose-built robotaxis. Meanwhile, Waymo plans public rides in Denver, San Diego, and Tampa, increasing its footprint to 14 cities and pursuing international expansion with planned tests in Munich for potential German launch by 2027. For Amazon, Zoox's progress marks a shift from free testing toward paid services after receiving regulatory approval. This could position autonomous transportation as a new growth area beyond e-commerce and cloud computing. Alphabet benefits from Waymo’s first-mover advantage with its established commercial presence across multiple U.S. markets.
Topics: Alphabet Amazon autonomous vehicles robotaxi Waymo Zoox