Zoox, Amazon’s robotaxi subsidiary, has opened a brand new manufacturing facility in California to construct 1000’s of toaster-shaped self-driving autos, the corporate mentioned on Wednesday.
The opening of the 220,000 sq. foot facility in Hayward, Calif. paves the way in which for Zoox to ultimately assemble greater than 10,000 of its robotaxis annually, the corporate mentioned. However it could take a while earlier than Zoox runs the power at capability, because it has but to even launch business operations.
Zoox, which has been engaged on self-driving automobile know-how since 2014, started providing rides in pod-like autos with no steering wheels or pedals to workers and choose invitees within the Bay Space and Las Vegas in 2023.
It additionally expanded its fleet of check autos—Toyota Highlander Hybrids rigged with radar and lidar sensors, and operated by security drivers—into Austin and Miami final 12 months.
As Zoox gears up for the business launch of its robotaxi service, which it has mentioned is slated for later this 12 months, the corporate has needed to deal with just a few hiccups. In April, Zoox pulled 258 autos off the streets to replace its software program after its testing autos had been concerned in two accidents with motorcyclists. NHTSA opened a preliminary investigation after the accidents, although it ended the probe after Zoox issued a software program replace. In Could, Zoox carried out two extra remembers—first after an incident during which one among its robotaxis collided with a passenger car in Las Vegas, and later one other the place an individual on a scooter bumped into one among its unoccupied taxis.
Basically, Zoox has extra work to do than its rivals with a purpose to get folks snug with its autos pre-launch. Amazon’s Zoox is the one self-driving firm within the U.S. to pursue a business launch with what it calls a “purpose-built” robotaxi—that means that the autos Zoox will use to move prospects don’t have issues like steering wheels or pedals. Whereas different corporations, together with Waymo and Tesla, have showcased designs for their very own autos with out pedals or steering wheels, none of them are at the moment utilizing such autos out on the streets with prospects. Tesla, which is anticipated to launch its robotaxi service in Austin later this month, is utilizing its normal Mannequin Y vehicles, and Waymo makes use of modified Jaguar I-PACE autos within the 4 cities the place it operates.
Placing autos on the roads with out normal controls like steering wheels and pedals presents its personal set of hurdles. For one, emergency responders must turn out to be conversant in autos they’ve by no means seen earlier than. And autos with out controls are additionally more durable to maneuver in the event that they get caught, as nobody can hop in and manually drive a car away. Zoox’s CEO, Aicha Evans, has mentioned that the robotaxis might have to be towed in these eventualities if distant help is unable to assist.
On the similar time, federal regulators have indicated plans to make it simpler for autos like Zoox’s robotaxi to get out on the streets. The Division of Transportation mentioned it was planning to streamline the exemption course of in order that corporations may get approvals to function autos with out conventional controls extra rapidly. Zoox has self-certified that its purpose-built robotaxis already meets all federal security pointers.
Because it opens its new manufacturing facility, Zoox mentioned that its earlier meeting facility in Fremont, Calif. will now be devoted to retrofitting its testing fleet with its autonomous system and software program, in addition to for sensor pod configuration. Zoox first took over the constructing in 2023 and began utilizing the power for robotaxi meeting on the finish of final 12 months. There are about 100 workers at the moment understanding of it, and the corporate says it’s hiring for extra manufacturing, engineering, logistics, and operations roles because it plans to scale up its manufacturing.
