Zoox has started offering limited public access to its purpose-built robotaxis in San Francisco, moving the Amazon-owned company closer to a commercial ride-hailing service and direct competition with Waymo.
The autonomous vehicles, which operate without a steering wheel or pedals, have been in testing on San Francisco streets for nearly a year. Until now, rides were restricted to Zoox employees and their invited guests. The company will now invite selected individuals from its waitlist to join its early rider program, Zoox Explorer, where rides will be free during this phase.
Zoox plans to gradually expand access as it increases its fleet and operating area. The company aims to remove the waitlist entirely in 2026 but has not disclosed how many people will be granted access or how many remain on the list. Zoox currently operates around 50 robotaxis across San Francisco and Las Vegas.
Approved riders will be able to request trips through the Zoox app in a limited area covering the SoMa, Mission and Design District neighborhoods. While the operating zone is small compared with Waymo’s wider coverage, it marks Zoox’s first public service offering in the city.
Zoox has been developing its autonomous technology for more than a decade, initially using modified Toyota Highlanders before shifting to its dedicated vehicle platform. “Zoox has been testing our autonomous technology in San Francisco since 2017,” CEO Aicha Evans said. “It’s our home… We have seen incredible interest in Zoox in this market and are excited about this first step to bring our purpose-built robotaxi experience to more people.”
The company still faces two major regulatory steps before launching a paid service. It must secure approval from the California Public Utilities Commission to charge for rides, and it requires authorization from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to commercially deploy its custom-designed robotaxis.
In August, Zoox received a federal exemption from NHTSA allowing it to operate its custom vehicles on public roads for demonstration purposes. The exemption permits free passenger rides but does not yet extend to commercial use.