--- title: "Amazon's Zoox Unveils a Redesigned Robotaxi as It Readies a Wider U.S. Rollout" description: "Zoox, Amazon's self-driving unit, showed off an updated version of its purpose-built robotaxi on June 24, refreshing the cabin and exterior of a vehicle it hopes to deploy commercially across several U.S. cities as it chases market leader Waymo." category: "Companies" category_url: https://boursel.com/category/companies author: "Sofia Marchetti" published: 2026-06-24T15:28:00.000Z updated: 2026-06-24T15:28:00.000Z canonical: https://boursel.com/article/zoox-redesigned-robotaxi-expansion tags: ["zoox", "amazon", "robotaxi", "autonomous-vehicles", "waymo"] --- # Amazon's Zoox Unveils a Redesigned Robotaxi as It Readies a Wider U.S. Rollout Zoox, Amazon's self-driving unit, showed off an updated version of its purpose-built robotaxi on June 24, refreshing the cabin and exterior of a vehicle it hopes to deploy commercially across several U.S. cities as it chases market leader Waymo. Zoox, the autonomous-vehicle subsidiary [Amazon acquired in 2020](https://www.cnbc.com/2020/06/26/amazon-buys-self-driving-technology-company-zoox.html), [unveiled a redesigned robotaxi on June 24](https://www.cnbc.com/2026/06/24/amazons-zoox-unveils-redesigned-robotaxi-ahead-of-upcoming-expansion.html), tweaking its toaster-shaped vehicle based on rider feedback ahead of a planned commercial launch. A "robotaxi" is a self-driving vehicle that picks up and drops off passengers without a human driver. Zoox's is "purpose-built," meaning it was designed from scratch as an autonomous vehicle rather than retrofitted from a conventional car. It has [no steering wheel or pedals](https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/24/zoox-upgrades-its-robotaxi-as-it-prepares-for-commercial-service/), drives bidirectionally with four-wheel steering, seats four passengers facing each other, and reaches up to 75 miles per hour. The company describes it as operating at Level 4 autonomy — an industry classification for a vehicle that can drive itself, within a defined service area and set of conditions, without human intervention. ## A comfort-focused redesign The update is largely about comfort and clarity rather than capability. Zoox [added padding and ergonomic curves](https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/24/zoox-upgrades-its-robotaxi-as-it-prepares-for-commercial-service/) to seats and headrests, shifted to a lighter cabin palette, enlarged the cupholders, and made the touchscreen more visible; a new door speaker and microphone enable two-way audio with riders. On the exterior, Zoox enlarged and relocated the vehicle's reflectors, which help others [distinguish the vehicle's front from its rear](https://www.cnbc.com/2026/06/24/amazons-zoox-unveils-redesigned-robotaxi-ahead-of-upcoming-expansion.html). The vehicle carries roughly 40 cameras, radars, lidars and infrared sensors. ## The expansion plan Zoox said it has [served more than 500,000 riders](https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/24/zoox-upgrades-its-robotaxi-as-it-prepares-for-commercial-service/) since opening its Las Vegas service in September 2025, where rides have so far been free. In March, the company [said it would expand](https://money.usnews.com/investing/news/articles/2026-03-24/zoox-to-widen-us-robotaxi-footprint-with-san-francisco-vegas-expansion) in San Francisco and Las Vegas and begin testing in Austin, Texas, and Miami — its broadest U.S. push to date. A commercial launch with paid rides hinges on regulatory clearance, including an exemption from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for a vehicle without traditional driving controls. Production runs out of a [220,000-square-foot factory in Hayward, California](https://techcrunch.com/2025/06/18/amazons-zoox-opens-its-first-major-robotaxi-production-facility/), which the company opened in 2025 and designed to eventually build up to 10,000 robotaxis a year. ## The competitive picture Amazon paid more than $1.2 billion for Zoox in 2020, though it never confirmed exact terms, and it does not break out Zoox's financial results in its disclosures. Zoox enters a market where [Alphabet's Waymo](https://www.cnbc.com/2026/06/24/amazons-zoox-unveils-redesigned-robotaxi-ahead-of-upcoming-expansion.html) is the clear front-runner, running paid driverless rides at scale in cities including Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Austin, while Tesla presses its own robotaxi effort. Zoox's bet is that a vehicle engineered specifically for autonomy — rather than an adapted passenger car — will set it apart as the field crowds.