Zoox

Zoox is an autonomous vehicle company that is a subsidiary of Amazon, acquired in 2020 for approximately $1.3 billion. Unlike most self-driving companies that retrofit existing vehicles, Zoox has designed a purpose-built autonomous robotaxi from the ground up — a bidirectional vehicle with no steering wheel, designed exclusively for autonomous operation.

Zoox's vehicle uses a custom AI driving system that processes data from a comprehensive sensor suite (cameras, lidar, radar) to navigate complex urban environments. The vehicle's unique bidirectional design means it can move equally in both directions without turning around — a significant advantage in dense urban environments. The autonomous system handles the full complexity of urban driving including pedestrians, cyclists, construction zones, and unprotected left turns.

Under Amazon's ownership, Zoox has continued development with the resources of one of the world's largest companies behind it. The company is conducting autonomous testing in multiple US cities and aims to launch a commercial robotaxi service. Zoox's purpose-built vehicle approach represents a bet that the future of autonomous transportation will use vehicles specifically designed for autonomous operation, rather than retrofitted conventional cars.