Zoox Robotaxi at CES 2025: A Ride Review - What Worked & Didn't

A Journey in the Zoox Robotaxi at CES 2025

A construction site. A vehicle collision. A truck illegally parked. A motorcycle officer with emergency lights activated.

My hour-long excursion in a specially designed Zoox robotaxi along the Las Vegas Strip during CES 2025 was anything but uneventful. A subsequent, briefer ride the following evening proved less challenging. In both instances, the Zoox vehicle navigated the entire route without issue – and largely with composure.

Refining the Autonomous Experience

Despite this, the experience isn’t yet fully polished. The system is nearing completion, and to someone unfamiliar with autonomous vehicles, the rides might appear seamless. However, as an experienced AV evaluator, I recognize areas for improvement.

The two trips were nonetheless impressive, especially regarding how the Zoox robotaxi managed intricate situations, often referred to as edge cases. Remarkably, the rides felt normal, even acknowledging that traveling in a custom-built, driverless vehicle is far from typical.

Zoox's Vision and Development

Zoox co-founder and CTO Jesse Levinson envisions a future where riding in a robotaxi is as common as using Uber or Lyft, but superior. This goal drives the work of Zoox personnel at the Las Vegas facility, the Foster City, California headquarters, the Fremont, California factory, and offices in Boston, San Diego, Seattle, and the U.K.

Significant progress has been made. Since my previous ride in Foster City last October, the company has introduced its next-generation Zoox robotaxi, incorporating numerous hardware enhancements. Levinson explained that hundreds of incremental changes have been implemented, affecting the suspension, braking system, electronic drive units, and computing power.

Other notable upgrades include a more comfortable bench seat, adjustments to the in-vehicle touchscreen interface, and a two-way audio system on the exterior doors. This allows the Zoox operations team to communicate with emergency services and law enforcement personnel.

Earlier Zoox models featured external speakers. This latest iteration now utilizes prerecorded messages, which Zoox staff can activate if individuals attempt to interfere with the vehicle’s operation.

Testing and Expansion

The Amazon-owned autonomous vehicle company initiated testing its purpose-built, electric, driverless robotaxis on Las Vegas public roads over a year ago. Zoox began with a limited one-mile loop near its Las Vegas facilities in June 2023, gradually expanding its testing area.

Currently, the company is evaluating its robotaxi on streets surrounding its depot, along the Las Vegas Strip, and on adjacent roads. Public access to the Zoox robotaxi in Las Vegas remains restricted. At present, only select media representatives and employees are permitted to ride, according to Levinson.

Zoox anticipates launching public rides in Las Vegas and San Francisco in 2025.

Ride Quality and Areas for Improvement

Both of my Zoox robotaxi experiences felt secure. The vehicle accelerated smoothly and changed lanes confidently, without the hesitation often observed in demonstrations with other companies.

However, Zoox still has refinements to make regarding ride comfort. At times, the autonomous system exhibited behaviors characteristic of a less-experienced driver. For example, when encountering a construction zone that closed the far right lane on both occasions, the robotaxi approached the cones before merging cautiously.

During my first ride, the vehicle decelerated abruptly at traffic lights on three separate instances, resulting in a slightly jolting sensation, though never unsafe. The suspension also feels somewhat firm for a premium robotaxi experience.

These minor issues were brief. What was particularly noteworthy was the Zoox’s handling of two complex scenarios involving traffic accidents. In one instance, the robotaxi approached a stop light and slowed as we neared the intersection. We observed that a collision had just occurred. There were no hazard lights, but people were gathered, and one individual appeared injured and was seated on the curb.

Traffic began to build, leaving limited maneuvering space. Within a minute, the Zoox robotaxi began reversing slowly, activated its left turn signal, and then merged into the adjacent lane. The entire event took less than two minutes.

The Path to Commercialization

Successfully executing driverless rides safely is essential, but doesn’t guarantee commercial success. It is, however, the fundamental requirement for establishing a viable business. The rides I experienced suggest that Zoox may be prepared for its next significant step: opening its service to the public.