Amazon’s New Robotaxi Looks Like a Toaster and Has No Steering Wheel. Riders Say It Feels ‘Like Science Fiction.’

Aug 26, 2026 08:10 PM - 4 hours ago 1

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Amazon’s robotaxis person officially deed the road, and they look for illustration room appliances.

Zoox, the institution Amazon bought for $1.2 cardinal successful 2020, started charging for rides successful San Francisco and Las Vegas this month. The all-electric vehicles transportation up to 4 passengers, and they’re the first robotaxis connected nationalist roads without a steering wheel, dashboard aliases pedals astatine all, according to the Wall Street Journal.

There are limits connected wherever they tin go. NHTSA approved Zoox to complaint for rides successful up to 5,000 vehicles complete the adjacent 2 years, but only connected roads pinch velocity limits of 45 mph aliases lower.

Riders admit that self-driving toasters are a small freaky. “It was breathtaking to witnesser thing that seemed for illustration subject fiction,” said Med Trimidal, a retired electrical technologist who tried Zoox successful June and said the deficiency of a driver felt disconcerting astatine first.

The stakes are massive. Goldman Sachs projects the robotaxi marketplace will turn to astir $19 cardinal by 2030, up from conscionable $376 cardinal past year. But Amazon is going up against superior competition. Waymo already runs astir 4,000 vehicles crossed aggregate cities, and Tesla’s Cybercab is successful measurement production, moreover without the regulatory support Zoox has already secured.

Amazon’s robotaxis person officially deed the road, and they look for illustration room appliances.

Zoox, the institution Amazon bought for $1.2 cardinal successful 2020, started charging for rides successful San Francisco and Las Vegas this month. The all-electric vehicles transportation up to 4 passengers, and they’re the first robotaxis connected nationalist roads without a steering wheel, dashboard aliases pedals astatine all, according to the Wall Street Journal.

There are limits connected wherever they tin go. NHTSA approved Zoox to complaint for rides successful up to 5,000 vehicles complete the adjacent 2 years, but only connected roads pinch velocity limits of 45 mph aliases lower.

Riders admit that self-driving toasters are a small freaky. “It was breathtaking to witnesser thing that seemed for illustration subject fiction,” said Med Trimidal, a retired electrical technologist who tried Zoox successful June and said the deficiency of a driver felt disconcerting astatine first.

The stakes are massive. Goldman Sachs projects the robotaxi marketplace will turn to astir $19 cardinal by 2030, up from conscionable $376 cardinal past year. But Amazon is going up against superior competition. Waymo already runs astir 4,000 vehicles crossed aggregate cities, and Tesla’s Cybercab is successful measurement production, moreover without the regulatory support Zoox has already secured.

More