It's official! Robo taxis are slow.
Amazon (NASDAQ:
AMZN) self-driving unit Zoox (
ZOOX) announced a successful test of its robotaxi technology on public roads in a statement on Monday.
The company said that a test was conducted utilizing an employee shuttle service in Foster City, California on February 11. Amazon noted that the test marked the first time in history that a “purpose-built autonomous robotaxi without traditional driving controls carried passengers on open public roads.” The Amazon subsidiary is currently the only purpose-built robotaxi permitted to operate on public roads in California.
“Becoming the first company to operate a purpose-built robotaxi with passengers on open public roads in California is a significant milestone in not only Zoox’s journey, but for the autonomous vehicle industry at large,” Zoox (
ZOOX) CEO Aicha Evans said. “Today, with the announcement of the maiden run of our autonomous employee shuttle, we are adding to the progress this industry has seen over the last year and bringing Zoox one step closer to a commercialized purpose-built robotaxi service for the general public.”
The company will continue to utilize the robotaxi for shuttle service at Zoox headquarters, operating at speeds
up to 35 miles per hour.
.... I wonder if they had a driver behind the wheel. I bet they did. Chickens!