No-Controls Robotaxi 'Zoox' Just Received Its Driverless Testing Permit in California

We’ve heard about robotaxi services and shuttles before. But General Motors’ Cruise and Alphabet’s Waymo use normal cars, fitted with autonomous technology. While Zoox is allegedly the first “purpose-built, fully autonomous, all-electric passenger vehicle” self-certified to the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.

This means it’s not a car, and this changes almost everything. First of all, it has nothing to do with nowadays' car manufacturing. This boxy and weird robotaxi was designed solely to house and transport people like a tram or a bus does. Minus the driver, the pedals, and the steering wheel.

It wasn’t designed to compete with four-wheeled sex symbols nor to make your adrenaline rush when you push the pedal to the metal. Remember, I just told you it’s got no pedals. It’s not meant to let you have fun behind the wheel like many Super Bowl car ads are emphasizing. Because it’s got no steering wheel.

It's meant to “make personal transportation safer, cleaner, and more enjoyable – for everyone” as Zoox founders stated almost a decade ago, when the start-up launched. In the meantime, Zoox was acquired by Amazon and you can bet zooxing will be a thing in a few years.

What, zooxing? It sounds funnier than cruising and not at all annoying as waymoing. We’re pretty sure that “I’m zooxing to [some place]” will be the new normal for Californians a couple of years from now. Because California is the first state where a fleet of Zoox very recently started its real-life pilot tests.

For now, Zoox employees will be shuttled on a one-mile public route in Foster City, CA, between two headquarters office buildings. The very first test run was completed last weekend, and the first passengers were Jesse Levinson, Zoox co-founder and CTO, and Aicha Evans, Zoox CEO.

Of course, they highly praised their product, but we’re having second thoughts. We tried to imagine what it’s like to drive take a ride in a Zoox. So, you’re waiting on the sidewalk for some shuttle to take you, and this weirdo box silently stops in front of you. It’s electric, obviously.

You can’t tell which is the front and which is the back of the car this four-wheeled thing. But it’s very clear how you get in because the two sliding doors are opening wide and let you step in as you do in a lower bus. Ok, it’s not as dramatic as Tesla Model X’s Falcon Wing doors, but it will do.

The 143 in. (3.63 m) length makes the Zoox smaller than a compact car, while the 76 in. (1.94 m) height rivals big SUVs. This translates to a pretty roomy interior – as we noticed on several videos posted by people who actually got in touch with a Zoox.

There are 2+2 seats, but not like in a sports car. There are two opposite benches, fitted with seatbelts and headrests. But also with some original airbags, that somehow embrace you in the event of an accident. That’s something we really want to see on every car out there for the passengers in the back.

The doors are closed, the vehicle starts moving. Technically, it can reach 75 mph (120 kph), but for the initial tests top speed is limited to 35 mph (56 kph). So, nothing special to be excited about. Except for the all-wheel steering system, which translates into a turning circle of just 27 ft (8.4 m). Still not excited, huh?

Each of the passengers has a cup holder and a wireless charging pad for their phone. They also get a display to control air conditioning or to check the route. And that’s about it. They don’t even get a separate boot for their luggage. So they can cut off the list for the airport trips or even the mall shopping spree.

In the end, we’re not impressed at all. It’s just a boxy electric vehicle that moves around in silence. It can accommodate four passengers and once you get out of it you simply get on with your life and forget about it. Nothing special.

This is why it changes everything in the way we move around the city. We simply don’t need our cars any longer. We don’t have to drive this thing, stress about parking it, or about being stuck in a traffic jam.

Of course, you could say it’s the same if you take a cab or an Uber, or you use a competing Cruise or Waymo service. But it’s not the same. The Zoox is much more like public transport but on a shrunk level. And it can put much more distance between you and your personal car than other aforementioned options would do.

In short, Zoox is making you less and less dependent on the concept of your personal car. And you feel more and more like a rider, not a driver. As for its self-driving technology, we expect its sensors and computers to show a high level of trust. Because Amazon is behind all of this.

Bottom line, if you happen to be, one of these days, in Foster City, California, don’t worry about UFOs rumors. If it’s on the ground and has wheels, it’s most likely a Zoox in test runs. And between you and me, remember that almost all sci-fi movies predicted this kind of robotaxi two or three decades ago. So, it’s simply the new normal.