Amazon’s Zoox Could Be Waymo’s Biggest Robotaxi Rival – Forget Tesla
LA June 2025
Autonomous vehicles are entering their most competitive era yet, and Amazon’s Zoox is officially ready to roll. With Tesla aiming to dominate self-driving tech and Waymo continuing to lead the charge, Zoox—Amazon’s futuristic robotaxi company—has emerged as a serious contender.
The company has just ramped up production at its 220,000-square-foot factory in Hayward, California, and aims to launch its first commercial robotaxi service in Las Vegas by the end of 2025.
Custom-Made Robotaxis—Not Your Average EV
Unlike Tesla or even Waymo, Zoox isn’t retrofitting existing vehicles. It’s building fully autonomous EVs from the ground up. The vehicle is symmetrical, bidirectional, and fully driverless—no steering wheel, no pedals, no mirrors. It resembles a sleek van with transit-style sliding doors, and the inside boasts carriage-style seating and roomy interiors designed for comfort and ride-sharing.
“Our goal is to offer a superior ride experience,” said Jesse Levinson, Zoox cofounder and CTO. “With comfort, ride quality, and our unique design, we believe people will prefer Zoox over competitors.”
Inside Zoox’s Hayward Factory: The Robotaxi Hub
At present, Zoox is producing one robotaxi per day. But by 2026, the Hayward plant will ramp up to produce up to 10,000 vehicles annually with two shifts. The factory assembles parts sourced from suppliers like Bosch and ZF, with body panels shipped from Italy.
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CEO Aicha Evans explained that Zoox isn’t aiming to sell vehicles but offer ride services. “We’re selling rides, not cars,” she stated. The goal: 16 hours of operation per day, up to 100,000 miles over five years, and dozens of daily trips to keep the service profitable.
Zoox vs. Waymo vs. Tesla: The Real Robotaxi Showdown
Waymo leads the field with commercial operations in Phoenix, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, plus testing in New York.
Tesla, led by Elon Musk, is pushing for an affordable camera-only self-driving model launching a pilot in Austin.
Zoox, meanwhile, is going all-in with a heavily sensor-packed system that includes:
- 8 laser lidars
- 10 radars
- 18 digital cameras
- 4 thermal cameras
- 8 microphones for emergency detection
That’s a lot more than Tesla’s 8-camera setup, which has drawn criticism from safety experts and U.S. regulators after multiple accidents involving its “Full Self-Driving” system.
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Levinson responded, “We’re not a carmaker; we’re building the safest vehicle possible. More sensors equal more safety. That’s our edge.”
Zoox’s Expansion Plan: From Vegas to the Nation
After Las Vegas, Zoox aims to roll out services in San Francisco, Austin, Miami, Los Angeles, and Atlanta. Full driverless testing is already underway on public roads in Nevada and California, though the company is still awaiting permits to charge riders in the Golden State.
With massive Amazon funding behind it, Zoox is not just trying to catch up—it’s looking to leap ahead.
Amazon’s Zoox is gearing up to rival Waymo in the robotaxi market, launching in Las Vegas with custom-built autonomous EVs. Here’s everything you need to know.