Zoox, an autonomous vehicle start-up owned by Amazon, has unveiled its four-person ‘robotaxi’ designed for urban environments.
The US company showcased the steering wheel-free, fully-electric autonomous taxi in a series of videos (two of which you can watch above and below).
According to Zoox, the taxi is one of the first bidirectional vehicles with four-wheel steering, enabling better manoeuvrability. Measuring at under 12ft long, the vehicle features two benches that face each other.
Two battery packs located under the benches enable the vehicle to operate day and night on a single charge, with a top speed of 75mph.
Aicha Evans, chief executive officer of Zoox, said: “This is really about re-imagining transportation.Not only do we have the capital required, we have the long-term vision.”
To commercialise the technology, Zoox plans to launch an app-based ride-hailing service in cities such as San Francisco and Las Vegas.
The vehicle has been tested at the company’s base of Foster City, Silicon Valley, California.
As previously reported by CiTTi, Amazon acquired Zoox in June 2020. The company now operates as an independent subsidiary.
