Image credit: Zoox
Zoox has unveiled a new design of its robotaxi as the Amazon-owned company awaits approval to begin commercial operations.
The new iteration is aesthetic-focused. It comes with a refined interior and exterior and adjusted seats though the fundamental design of the “toaster” vehicle remains the same.
A first batch of vehicles have been developed for testing. The company said this will be followed by production and rollout later this year with San Francisco and Las Vegas to receive a significant portion of the new fleet, though Zoox declined to disclose specific timelines.
“This is our production-intent vehicle. We’ll soon move into large-scale production at our robotaxi serial production facility in preparation for deployment later this year,” the company stated online.
The redesign comes as Zoox prepares to ramp up production at its facility in Hayward, California, stating a capacity of 100 vehicles per week. Down the line, Zoox has stated ambitions to produce 10,000 vehicles per year which, by calculation, is nearly double that weekly rate.
Whether Zoox increases production is largely down to regulators. The company is still yet to launch a paid service and is awaiting approval from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for commercial operations to begin.
Zoox’s operations at the moment consists of free rides in parts of Las Vegas and San Francisco while select users in Miami and Austin can also use the service. The company is also testing in six other US markets including Phoenix and Dallas.
What’s new with the latest design?
The Zoox robotaxi remains fundamentally the same.
It’s equipped with 40 cameras, radars, lidars and infrared sensors, lacks a steering wheel and can drive bidirectionally.
The revamp instead mainly relates to user touch-points. The cabin interior has shifted to a lighter colour palette with monochrome aloe green seating and stone-grey flooring and trim, with the updated Colour Material Finish (CMF) to make everyday items like a phone or drink more visible in the vehicle.
Padding and ergonomic curves have been added to the seats and headrests, fluting has been fitted onto the charging pad and the touchscreen is said to be more visible.
“The updates we’ve made to this iteration of our purpose-built robotaxi continue to further distinguish the Zoox experience from anything else available today,” said Chris Stoffel, Director, Robot Industrial Design and Studio Engineering at Zoox.
“The simplicity of the elevated interior design does not demand a rider’s attention like so many of the features found in today’s passenger cars.”
Meanwhile on the exterior, the bidirectional reflectors which distinguish the front and rear have been relocated while a new speaker and microphone has been added with two-way audio capabilities. Examples of when communication would be needed is if Zoox’s support teams needed to speak with a passenger outside of the vehicle or if an emergency responder needs to communicate with passengers.
The new vehicles are expected to join Zoox’s existing fleet – rather than replace it – later this year in Las Vegas, San Francisco, Austin and Miami with deployment to take a phased approach.
