Amazon Ventures into Robotaxi Market as Uber Eyes Air Travel

Amazon enters US robotaxi race with Zoox launch; Uber plans helicopter flights by 2026.

Amazon has entered the US robotaxi race with the public launch of Zoox on the Las Vegas Strip on September 10th. Austin and Miami are set to follow, according to CNBC.

Zoox, an American company developing fully autonomous electric robotaxis, was acquired by Amazon in 2020 for $1.3 billion.

Starting Wednesday, the firm is offering free rides from select locations, with plans to expand the service citywide in the coming months.

Currently, the US autonomous transport sector is dominated by the startup Waymo, which has been offering its service since 2020. The service has surpassed 10 million paid rides and operates in five cities: Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin, and Miami. Plans are underway to expand to Dallas, Denver, Seattle, and Washington.

In June, Tesla launched a driverless taxi service, with test rides taking place in Austin.

Unlike Waymo and Tesla, the electric Zoox vehicles do not resemble standard cars. They lack a steering wheel and pedals, featuring a rectangular body.

The robotaxi features two rows of seats facing each other and can carry up to four passengers at a time. The front and rear are identical, and its bidirectional wheels allow it to move forward or backward without turning around. A single charge lasts for 16 hours of operation.

The vehicle is equipped with floor-to-ceiling panoramic windows.

“This is not a repurposed car. It is built from the ground up around the passenger,” noted Zoox CEO Aicha Evans.

The company’s Las Vegas base spans 17,650 square meters—roughly the size of three football fields—and houses dozens of vehicles. Users can summon them via smartphone from various locations such as Top Golf, Area15, Resorts World Las Vegas, and the New York-New York and Luxor hotel-casinos.

“You can squeeze a robotaxi into what used to be a car. But that’s not the best solution. We wanted to do the hard work, take the time, and invest to bring something much better than a car to market,” said Zoox co-founder and CTO Jesse Levinson.

Helicopter Taxis

Uber announced that helicopter flights with Blade will be available in its app by 2026, thanks to a partnership with Joby Aviation, a manufacturer of electric air taxis.

“Integrating Blade into the Uber app is a natural step in our global partnership and a foundation for introducing quiet, fully electric aircraft with zero emissions in the coming years,” said Joby founder and CEO JoeBen Bevirt.

Uber President and COO Andrew Macdonald stated that the partnership will open up “the next generation of travel” for customers, highlighting the company’s long-standing belief in the potential of air transport.

Back in July, flying taxi manufacturer Joby Aviation delivered its first aircraft to the UAE and completed pilot testing. The service is expected to launch in the region in 2026.