Zoox x Las Vegas Grand Prix (Official Autonomous Ride Hail Partner)

Autonomous-vehicle company founded ~2014 by [Jesse Levinson](/people/jesse-levinson) and [Tim Kentley-Klay](/people/tim-kentley-klay), acquired by [Amazon](/companies/amazon) in 2020 for over $1 billion. Zoox develops a purpose-built, bidirectional [robotaxi](/models/zoox) with no steering wheel or pedals, plus a retrofitted [Toyota](/companies/toyota) Highlander test fleet. On August 10, 2026, Zoox launched its first-ever paid commercial ride-hailing service in [Las Vegas](/locations/las-vegas-nevada-usa), following NHTSA's July 30 temporary exemption allowing up to 2,500 vehicles annually for two years. Free demonstration rides continue in [San Francisco](/locations/san-francisco-california-usa) (SoMa). Zoox also tests with human safety operators in Austin, [Miami](/locations/miami-florida-usa), Seattle, and [Los Angeles](/locations/los-angeles-california-usa) using retrofitted Highlanders. The company has faced significant regulatory scrutiny including three NHTSA software recalls in 2025 and ongoing probes. [Amazon](/companies/amazon) has positioned Zoox as its entry into autonomous ride-hailing, though it trails [Waymo](/companies/waymo) in commercial deployment scale.