Zoox’s Robotaxi Revolution Hits the Las Vegas Strip

On September 10, 2025, Las Vegas got a new way to navigate the chaos. Zoox, an Amazon company, launched its fully autonomous robotaxi service to the public and is offering free rides on the Strip.

Zoox’s vehicles are easy to spot with their boxy, silver, symmetrical design. They look like pods, not cars, with passengers facing each other on cushioned chairs and floor-to-ceiling windows framing the bright lights of Las Vegas. No driver’s seat or manual controls – just a clean open space to relax. These robotaxis can go up to 45mph and move bidirectionally – forward or backward without turning around.

Rides are free for now and the service is available through the Zoox app on iOS / Android, connecting to a few key locations including Resorts World Las Vegas, AREA15, Topgolf, New York-New York and Luxor. Pickups and dropoffs are in designated ride-hail zones with Resorts World and AREA15 providing Zoox-specific facilities with concierges to help first timers. The app is like Uber with wait times, car license plates and real-time updates and a “Help” button that leads to remote support.

Las Vegas is just the start, as Zoox has its sights on San Francisco where a waitlist is open but no launch date is set. Austin, Miami, Atlanta, Los Angeles and Seattle are next with test vehicles already on the road in some of these cities. Zoox has about 50 robotaxis, mostly in Las Vegas, which is a small fleet compared to Waymo’s 2,000. But Zoox’s approach feels different. While Waymo retrofits existing vehicles and Tesla experiments with supervised autonomy, Zoox’s purpose-built design prioritizes the passenger experience. Its Hayward, California factory will produce 10,000 vehicles a year at full capacity – a sign of serious scale to come.