Amazon’s robotaxi company Zoox is introducing a self-driving car without a steering wheel or pedals on public roads in the U.S. as part of a trial to establish driverless mobility.
The taxi, designed for four passengers, completed its first test drive between two company buildings in Foster City, California, Zoox announced.
On the test route, the vehicle traveled at speeds of up to 35 miles per hour (56 km/h), passing through traffic lights and turning left and right. A transportation service for employees is now planned.
Zoox is preparing to launch a robotaxi service in Las Vegas, among other locations, and is also sending modified Toyota SUVs with sensors as test vehicles on the roads in San Francisco and Seattle.
Meanwhile, Cruise, a company owned by automotive giant General Motors, also aims to introduce driverless robotaxis in the U.S.
Cruise has already been permitted to transport passengers in part of San Francisco, but only at night for now. The company uses modified electric Chevrolet Bolt cars, which have steering wheels and pedals but no driver.
However, several incidents in which Cruise vehicles briefly blocked roads have made headlines in recent months. The city of San Francisco has since resisted requests from Cruise and Google’s sister company Waymo to expand robotaxi operations.
