Zoox Begins Mapping for Robotaxi Rollout in Los Angeles
Zoox’s entry into LA puts it in direct comparison with Waymo, which currently leads the U.S. market with commercial robotaxi services in several major cities and plans to expand into Atlanta, Miami, and Washington, D.C.
Amazon-owned Zoox is kicking off autonomous vehicle operations in Los Angeles this week, deploying a small fleet of manually driven, sensor-equipped Toyota Highlanders, TechCrunch reported.
The goal: collect detailed mapping data to support future autonomous testing and eventual robotaxi service in the city.
This move marks Zoox’s expansion into its sixth U.S. city and a step toward its broader plan to offer public rides in Las Vegas and San Francisco later this year.
While competitors like Waymo have already launched paid robotaxi services in LA, Zoox remains in a pre-commercial phase. The vehicles now hitting LA streets will be operated by human drivers as they gather critical data for future self-driving deployments.
Zoox continues to test its autonomous technology in several cities. Its purpose-built, steering wheel-free robotaxis—designed specifically for autonomy—are already running driverless on public roads in Foster City, San Francisco, and Las Vegas. Select groups, including employees and media, have been invited to experience the service.
The LA expansion comes shortly after Zoox issued a voluntary recall of 258 vehicles to address an issue related to sudden braking by its autonomous system. Despite that setback, the company is moving forward with its mission to safely scale autonomous mobility.
Zoox’s entry into LA puts it in direct comparison with Waymo, which currently leads the U.S. market with commercial robotaxi services in several major cities and plans to expand into Atlanta, Miami, and Washington, D.C.
Last year, Waymo and Uber expanded their collaboration to bring fully autonomous rides to Austin and Atlanta, starting in early 2025. As part of this partnership, Uber will exclusively offer Waymo One rides through its app in both cities, deploying a growing fleet of Waymo’s all-electric, self-driving Jaguar I-PACE vehicles.
The partnership builds on the success of their existing operations in Phoenix, where tens of thousands of fully autonomous trips have already been completed.
“Waymo’s mission is to be the world’s most trusted driver, and we’re excited to launch this expanded network and operations partnership with Uber in Austin and Atlanta to bring the benefits of fully autonomous driving to more riders,” said Tekedra Mawakana, co-CEO, Waymo. “We’ve been delighted at the positive feedback from our Waymo One riders to date, and we can’t wait to bring the comfort, convenience, and safety of the Waymo Driver to these cities in partnership with Uber.”
As part of the arrangement, Uber will manage day-to-day fleet operations such as cleaning, maintenance, and depot services. Waymo will continue to lead on autonomous driving technology, overseeing the operation of the Waymo Driver, including testing, roadside support, and rider assistance.
This move marks a significant step in scaling autonomous mobility across major U.S. cities, combining Waymo’s trusted AV technology with Uber’s extensive mobility platform.
