Amazon’s Zoox self-driving unit has opened its first production facility ahead of the launch of robotaxi services, starting in Las Vegas.
Foster City-based Zoox announced it has “opened the first-ever serial production facility for purpose-built robotaxis in the US.” The new facility is located in the San Francisco bay area near to its headquarters.
Zoox experienced a small setback in May 2025, after a minor traffic accident took place in Las Vegas in April, which prompted the firm to issue a voluntary software recall. It also temporarily paused all driverless vehicle operations.
Image credit Zoox
Zoox factory
But now Zoox has opened its first-ever serial production facility in Hayward, California.
The new facility spans 220,000 square feet, equivalent to 3 ½ American football fields.
Zoox’s other assembly facility, located in Fremont, California, has apparently evolved into a dedicated facility for the Zoox retrofitted testing fleet and for sensor pod configuration.
According to Zoox once the currently installed line at the new facility is operating at full scale, it will have the capacity to assemble more than 10,000 robotaxis a year.
Image credit Zoox
“The number of Zoox robotaxis we produce will grow and scale to match the demand of our commercial service as needed,” said the firm.
The facility is used for a number of different operations, including robotaxi engineering and software/hardware integration, robotaxi assembly, storage of robotaxi components, shipping and receiving, and end-of-line testing required before the robotaxis are deployed.
Zoox said it remains the only company in the US operating a fully autonomous, purpose-built robotaxi on public roads.
Beyond launching in Las Vegas, it said it is look forward to welcoming public riders in San Francisco very soon.
Image credit Zoox
Robotaxi competition
Amazon’s Zoox is competing in the United States with robotaxi market leader, Alphabet’s Waymo.
Another competitor is Elon Musk’s Tesla robotaxi service, which he said will launch a limited service in Austin on 22 June 2025.
The other potential big name player in this sector had been Cruise from General Motors.
But GM killed off Cruise in December 2024, after it was subjected to regulatory red tape following a notable accident in 2023 when one of its autonomous Chevrolet Bolts dragged a San Francisco pedestrian after she had been struck by a separate hit and run vehicle.