Amazon subsidiary tests driverless taxis

 

Amazon-owned autonomous vehicle firm Zoox has begun testing driverless taxis with passengers on board on public roads in California.  The move marks a major milestone for Amazon's efforts to bring autonomous vehicles to the raid-hailing industry.  In 2020, Zoox became the first company to self-certify a fully autonomous passenger vehicle to the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS). Last week, the company received approval to run tests on public roads from the California Department of Motor Vehicles. Zoox confirmed that it successfully completed a test over the weekend that involved transporting employees in a driverless vehicle. The company expects to continue testing its autonomous vehicles on public roads and plans to launch a driverless shuttle service for its employees this spring. Amazon acquired Zoox in 2020 but has remained secretive about how it intends to use the company's technology.