Amazon's robotaxis get the green light to launch their cars around the country
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What is the new regulatory approval for Amazon’s Zoox robotaxis?
Time for our daily tech and business report. Move over, Waymo. Amazon's driverless Zoox Robotaxis has gotten the go-ahead to launch its vehicles in the U.S. over the next two years. For more, we turn to the KCBS Ring Central Newsline and talk with Bloomberg's Amy Stillman. Amy, thanks for the time. Thank you, Holly. So, you know, Zoox already operates in Las Vegas and here in San Francisco. Where else are they testing and are those the cities that may be the first to officially get them on the roads?
How many Zoox robo‑taxis are allowed to operate under the temporary exemption?
Yes, thank you. So, yeah, as you mentioned, they're already operating in Las Vegas and San Francisco, but those are for essentially demonstration purposes. and research purposes. We're not exactly sure where this new fleet of commercial vehicles will be able to operate, but what I can tell you is that what they're receiving is a temporary exemption for up to 5,000 robo-taxis to operate commercially. So we can probably safely assume that these taxis are also going to be on the streets of San Francisco and Las Vegas.
Do we know how soon they're going to be taking passengers on a commercial basis?
Well, we don't, is the short answer. The exemption was announced today by the NHTSA, by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Usually this is a process where they would first have to receive the exemption and then there's a procedure.
How does Zoox’s fleet size and capabilities compare to Waymo’s?
What we know is that the regulator has given them this temporary exemption for up to two years, so 2,500 vehicles annually over the next two years.
How far is Zoox behind Waymo?
Zoox is pretty behind. Waymo, you know, has, you know, thousands of taxis operating in the United States, robo taxis. These are taxis without human drivers. You know, they're by far and away the biggest. And Zoox at the moment has a fleet of. 105 vehicles, which, as we just discussed, are on the road for research and demonstration purposes. So this would certainly give Zoox, which is Amazon-owned, a bit of a leg up in terms of beginning to compete more effectively with Waymo.
Why do Zoox robotaxis lack steering wheels and brake pedals?
Do they have to build more of these kinds of robotaxis? I know they're kind of funny looking and certainly set themselves apart.
Yeah, they certainly are. And this is an important point here, you know, the difference if we're looking at Waymo versus Zoox. One of the reasons why Waymo has been allowed to operate in the United States and has been able to build up its presence here is because it meets current federal motor vehicle safety standards, which require that these vehicles have steering wheels and brake pedals. What sets Zoox apart is that its vehicles do not have those you know, those manual control operating systems. And the reason for that is because they were never designed with a, you know, a human driver in mind. So, you know, certainly what we could start to see now that they've received this exemption is we could see, you know, other robo taxis on the road that resemble more of what we're seeing with Zooks that don't have steering wheels and brake pedals.
What are the main challenges slowing robo‑taxi adoption in the U.S.?
And is 5,000 over two years? Is that a lot? I mean, where is that fall?
That would be, as I said before, that's a significant jump compared to the 105 vehicles that we've already seen on the road. But no, overall, you know, robo taxis have not taken off, I think, in the way that people anticipated. One of the reasons for that is that, you know, companies like Tesla, which has a cyber cab system, you know, including Waymo, which is the furthest advance, you know, are still working through the glitches. You know, a lot of the technology is not where it should be. There are certain regulatory hurdles.
Where can listeners find more tech and business news from Bloomberg and KCBS?
You know, so far the United States is, you know, the furthest along when it comes to robo-taxi deployment. And, you know, that's not really saying a huge deal. So, you know, this is still something that's very much in its early stages.
And we're just so used to seeing them here in San Francisco. Amy, thanks for the time. That is Bloomberg's Amy Stillman. You can hear our tech and business reports weekdays at 1230 here on KCBS. And for more, catch Bloomberg Technology weekdays at 8 a.m.
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
What is the new regulatory approval for Amazon’s Zoox robotaxis?
0:00–0:34
2
How many Zoox robo‑taxis are allowed to operate under the temporary exemption?
0:34–1:39
3
How does Zoox’s fleet size and capabilities compare to Waymo’s?
1:39–2:33
4
Why do Zoox robotaxis lack steering wheels and brake pedals?
2:33–3:38
5
What are the main challenges slowing robo‑taxi adoption in the U.S.?
3:38–4:21
6
Where can listeners find more tech and business news from Bloomberg and KCBS?
4:21–4:51
Speakers
1 identifiedMore from KCBS Bloomberg Tech and Business Report
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