Amazon-owned autonomous driving company Zoox unveiled its “next-generation” robotaxi with a distinctive design on Wednesday, further enhancing passenger experience and production readiness ahead of a larger-scale U.S. market rollout planned for later this year.
The company said the new version will feature higher-quality in-car touchscreens, more comfortable seats and headrests, and refined interior layout details that make it easier for passengers to find misplaced items such as keys or phones.
Zoox’s robotaxi is nicknamed “toaster” due to its shape. The vehicle eliminates the steering wheel and pedals, featuring four carriage-style seats facing each other inside, presenting an overall spatial layout similar to that of a shuttle.
The company’s biggest challenge remains achieving paid commercial operation. Zoox is still awaiting approval from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to operate up to 2,500 autonomous vehicles for commercial operations on public roads. Currently, the application remains under review after the public comment period ended in early April. Zoox stated that the revised model unveiled this time is defined as its “production-intent vehicle,” and the company expects to gradually introduce it into the existing fleet later this year. In addition, the company said it will soon launch large-scale production of robotaxis at its manufacturing facility in the San Francisco Bay Area, which opened last June. Once fully operational, the facility is expected to have an annual production capacity of 10,000 vehicles.
