Amazon Finally Set to Enter Emerging Industry After $1.2 Billion Investment
When it comes to self-driving cabs, Waymo is currently king. However, Amazon is looking to give the company a run for its money.
Five years ago, Amazon began to put its foot in the door of the self-driving cabs industry when it dropped $1.2 billion on Zoox, a robotaxi start-up company created in 2014.
Now, according to the Associated Press' Michael Liedtke, the ball is rolling on Amazon's entrance into a competition with Waymo, as the company is slated to build as many as 10,000 robotaxis per year in a recently revealed plant near Silicon Valley.
Once the first robotaxis are completed, Zoox is expected to begin service in Las Vegas late in 2025, and then the goal is to expand to San Francisco and other areas.
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Waymo has a big head start on Amazon and Zoox.
The company has already been at it for a handful of years and offers service in several big cities. In all, Waymo claims to have garnered 10 million paid rides.
Amazon isn't the only company getting into the self-driving cab industry.
Elon Musk, the co-founder and CEO of Tesla, revealed last month that he expects the company to have robotaxis in Austin, Texas, starting on June 22.