Amazon’s Zoox expands its robotaxi service to Las Vegas airport

Zoox isn’t wasting any time now that it’s allowed to operate and charge for rides in its custom-built robotaxi. The company has extended its commercial robotaxi service in Las Vegas to include rides to and from Harry Reid International Airport. Customers will be able to hail rides to the airport beginning Thursday, according to Zoox. The expansion, which unlocks a critical ride-hailing destination, builds on a series of recent wins for the Amazon-owned autonomous vehicle technology company. Silicon Valley-based Zoox spent more than a decade developing its self-driving system and custom robotaxi that lacks traditional controls like a steering wheel and pedals. While it has made progress, even providing rides to customers in Las Vegas for a year, it wasn’t able to operate as a true commercial robotaxi service. That changed in August after federal safety regulators gave Zoox a temporary exemption from certain motor vehicle safety standards. The commercial exemption, which lasts two years and allows Zoox to deploy up to 2,500 vehicles, spans eight federal motor vehicle standards, including windshield defrosting and light vehicle braking systems. The exemption has kicked Zoox’s business expansion into drive. The startup community will gather to answer a pivotal question: How do you build sustainably in the AI era?