Zoox unveiled its level 5 autonomous electric model recently. Zoox was acquired earlier in 2020 by Amazon, and they are now unveiling the first model anticipated to be a taxi. The company claims the robotaxi will be able to continuously cruise for up to 16 hours and go to speeds of 75 mph. The model name is the same as the company “Zoox.” The Zoox will be able to seat 4 passengers and has zero driver controls. No specific dates have been set to release the vehicle, but testing is underway.
Vehicle Production and Pricing
Production and pricing are a bit unclear; the vehicle is not intended to be a consumer vehicle. The only indication of production mentioned on the Zoox website is about the “Kato production line” The facilities headquarters is located at 1149 Chess Drive in Foster City, California. This building would be large enough to facilitate manufacturing. Pricing for the Zoox is unclear because it’s a first of its kind. So, it’s impossible to guess.
Amazon recently acquired the company for a whopping $1.3 billion and various other requirements. This cash injection and backing should make Zoox a reality in the future. Release dates of the vehicles are yet to be known.
Performance, Range, and Design Specifications
The motor specifications aren’t completely revealed, a cool feature is the bidirectional capability. What we decipher from that is there is no front, there is no rear, it just goes. The Zoox is small, about 143 inches long which is much smaller than the average sedan.
The doors are located on the side like a traditional vehicle, but the 4 seats are set up similar to train seating. The idea is that you will sit across from your colleague and be able to converse while the taxi drives you to your destination. We have touched on the topic previously that vehicle designs will change once autonomy becomes a reality.
The traditional set up just is not necessary if there is no human interaction.
The company states the vehicle will be equipped with a 133-kWh battery that can continuously drive the vehicle for 16 hours. We assume there is some smart route where the vehicle would route to a wireless charger between rides. Cool stuff!
Vehicle Technology
Level 5 autonomy is the holy grail of autonomous capabilities. This means zero driver controls, absolutely 100% computer-driven. That is exactly what Zoox will attempt to bring to market! The vehicle is currently undergoing testing in California now. Which is a massive achievement as they are 1 of 4 companies permitted to test. There is no clear indication of if or when they will get approval for it to drive down public streets. The technology is packed with lidar sensors and smart systems that will all be utilized to hit the level 5 autonomy.
Stay tuned for further developments from Amazon and Zoox, as we hear more information, we will inform you!
