San Francisco is a hub for technology and innovation, which means we’re used to seeing plenty of groundbreaking technology in our daily lives. Self-driving vehicles are one of the most talked about new pieces of tech in San Francisco, with Waymo’s regularly seen cruising around the streets. Many residents have eagerly adopted autonomous vehicles, hailing them as you would with Uber and Lyft, while others are much more apprehensive of the cars due to safety concerns.
Now, it looks like there’s a new robotaxi on the block. This time, the self-driving vehicles look very different from the typical car we’ve grown used to seeing. The company behind the vehicles—Zoox—recently announced they would start testing their robotaxis in SF’s SoMa neighborhood. As the company continues testing its vehicles, rides will not be available to the public just yet.
“This marks our entrance with the robotaxi into our second commercial market,” said Aicha Evans, CEO in a recent blog post. “Since 2017, our test fleet has autonomously navigated San Francisco streets with a safety driver. Now that we’ve passed all critical safety measures, we are excited to begin testing our robotaxi in this wonderful city.”
The vehicle is hard to miss and has a very different appearance from your typical car. It is designed with the passenger in mind, aiming to make each seat equally comfortable and safe. The vehicle comes with phone charging stations and a rider screen that allows you to control the music and air and check your progress.
Zoox also has a presence in Las Vegas, where they plan to welcome riders sometime in 2025. San Francisco is expected to follow, allowing public riders after Las Vegas. While it’s still unclear when you could catch a ride in the new robotaxis, don’t be surprised if you see them driving around in San Francisco.
You can learn more about Zoox on their website.