Zoox, the fully autonomous vehicle company acquired by Amazon, is expanding its production capacity. It is currently preparing to debut its first commercial robotaxi service—in Las Vegas—later this year. The firm operates an advanced manufacturing plant in Fremont, California. This facility is dedicated to building its one-of-a-kind robotaxis, which CEO Aicha Evans calls “high-end computers on wheels.”
Zoox’s Fremont facility is about the length of 3.5 NFL football fields, accommodating the sprawling production floor that’s central to Zoox’s manufacturing operations. We’ll bring together a prototype fleet of retrofit Toyota SUVs. We’ll be setting up the advanced sensor pods that are needed to safely deploy the robotaxis. Today the facility has about 100 technicians who work in concert with robots to manufacture these customized vehicles.
At full production, Zoox hopes to make up to 10,000 of these little robotaxis per year. This immensely ambitious production target is an indication of just how committed the company is to maintaining a serious competitive edge in the lightning quick AV space. Zoox faces obstacles from Alphabet’s Waymo. As it stands now, Waymo is in a clear market position with the only fully public driverless ride-hailing service operating in the United States. Waymo has really put the pedal to the metal with more than 250,000 paid trips per week. They are actively running in large metropolitan areas such as Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Austin.
Each robotaxi has to go through dozens of laps on a dedicated test track located behind the Fremont facility. That’s careful testing that guarantees they’ll stand up to intense safety standards before rolling out in traffic. This phase of testing is an essential step to ensuring we’re building toward the high safety and performance standards that Zoox is committed to long-term.
Impressive is the company’s emphasis on local suppliers. Nearly half of Zoox’s suppliers are based in the US. The company relies on global partners for some components, working with international partners including China and Italy. This combination of international and domestic sourcing allows Zoox to cut costs through mass production and high-quality international labor, while still controlling quality through local assembly.
Aicha Evans emphasizes the thoughtful approach Zoox takes toward vehicle production:
“We don’t need to crank out a vehicle every minute because we’re not selling these things.” – Aicha Evans
This statement conceals Zoox’s plan and is indicative of the company’s strategy. They are looking at quality not just quantity as they prepare to wade into the commercial market. The company’s commitment to safety and innovation sets it apart as it seeks to establish itself in an industry that is constantly evolving.