Zoox Debuts Driverless Rides for San Francisco Residents

Post by : Bianca Suleiman

San Francisco is ushering in a revolutionary way to travel. Zoox, the autonomous vehicle entity owned by Amazon, has initiated a program allowing select users to summon its driverless robotaxis throughout selected areas of the city.

The initiative, named the “Zoox Explorers” program, offers local residents in districts such as SoMa, Mission, and Design the opportunity to experience unique box-shaped vehicles at no charge. Availability is contingent on location and fleet capacity, with the company aiming to eliminate the waitlist entirely by 2026.

Zoox’s unique selling proposition in the competitive robotaxi landscape centers on its custom-built vehicles, which feature an absence of a steering wheel, diverging from the industry norm of adapting traditional cars. Since 2017, the company has tested autonomous technology in San Francisco, initially using retrofitted Toyota Highlanders before rolling out its custom “toaster-shaped” shuttles in the past year.

This development positions Zoox directly in competition with Alphabet's Waymo in San Francisco for the first time. Waymo has been providing rides to all city residents since June 2024, boasting over 10 million paid rides since launching in Phoenix in 2020. Its service expansion includes freeways and regions like San Jose and Los Angeles.

Currently, Zoox operates a fleet of 50 robotaxis, servicing routes between San Francisco and Las Vegas, where public access was granted in September 2025. While rides remain complimentary, this initiative is part of a broader strategy aimed at scaling for future paid services once regulatory consent is secured.

In addition to these two locales, Zoox is also trialing its fleet in major U.S. cities like Seattle, Austin, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Washington, D.C., reflecting its ambition to carve out a significant niche in the autonomous ride-hailing sector.

As this service expands, residents of San Francisco are offered a glimpse into a future where AI-driven vehicles might integrate into their everyday commutes, promising a ride experience unlike any other offered in the city.