Amazon launches robotaxis, while Uber offers air transportation.

# Amazon will launch robotaxis, while Uber will provide air transportation.

Amazon has entered the robotaxi race in the USA — on September 10, the first public launch of Zoox started in Las Vegas Strip. The next cities will be Austin and Miami, reports CNBC.

Zoox is an American company that develops fully autonomous electric robotaxis. In 2020, it was acquired by Amazon for $1.3 billion.

Starting from Wednesday, the company offers free rides from several selected points. In the coming months, it plans to expand the service to the entire city.

Currently, the startup Waymo dominates the field of autonomous transportation in the USA. It has been offering the service since 2020. The service has exceeded 10 million paid rides. The company operates in five cities — Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin, and Miami. Plans are in place to expand to Dallas, Denver, Seattle, and Washington.

In June, Tesla launched a driverless taxi service. Test rides are taking place in Austin.

Unlike Waymo and Tesla, electric Zoox cars do not resemble standard vehicles. The car has no steering wheel and pedals, and its body is rectangular.

Zoox Car. Data: CNBC. The robotaxi has two rows of seats facing each other and can carry up to four passengers at the same time. The front and rear are identical, and the bidirectional wheels allow the car to move forward or backward without turning. A single charge lasts for 16 hours of operation.

The vehicle is equipped with floor-to-ceiling panoramic windows.

"This is not a modified car. It was built from the ground up around the passenger," noted Zoox CEO Aicha Evans.

The company's base in Las Vegas occupies an area of 17,650 square meters — roughly the size of three football fields. The firm keeps dozens of cars there. Users can summon them via smartphone from various locations such as Top Golf, Area15, Resorts World Las Vegas, and the New York-New York and Luxor casino hotels.

"You can squeeze a robotaxi into what used to be a car. But that's not the best solution. We wanted to do the hard work, spend the time, and invest to bring something much better than a car to market," noted Zoox co-founder and CTO Jesse Levinson.

Helicopter Taxis

Uber announced that in 2026, the app will feature helicopter flights with Blade thanks to a partnership with Joby Aviation, the manufacturer of electric air taxis.

"The integration of Blade into the Uber app is a natural step in our global partnership and the foundation for the introduction of quiet, fully electric zero-emission aircraft in the coming years," noted Joby founder and CEO JoeBen Bevirt.

The President and Chief Operating Officer of Uber, Andrew McDonald, stated that the partnership will open up "the next generation of travel" for customers, emphasizing the company's long-standing belief in the potential of air transport.

Recall that in July, the flying taxi manufacturer Joby Aviation delivered its first aircraft to the UAE and completed pilot testing. The launch of the service in the region is expected in 2026.