Moderation Team
Summary: Starting September 10, 2025, Zoox is launching the first fully autonomous ride-hailing service in Las Vegas using purpose-built robotaxis, offering free rides initially to encourage usage. These vehicles, designed for self-driving, have been testing on the Strip since June 2023. A partnership with Resorts World Las Vegas includes dedicated pickup and drop-off points. The Nevada government regulates autonomous vehicles, ensuring safety protocols are in place. Research suggests driverless cars present lower accident rates compared to human-driven cars. The Zoox app allows users to request rides and track their vehicle’s arrival, with plans for future expansions and paid services.
Visitors to the Las Vegas Strip now have a futuristic new transportation option: fully autonomous robotaxis with no human driver behind the wheel.
The boxy, gray vehicles have been spotted for months cruising South Las Vegas Boulevard and navigating surface streets near the Rio, Gold Coast, and Palms, sparking curiosity and social media buzz. Now, autonomous vehicle company Zoox has made it official.
Starting today, Zoox is launching its ride-hailing service on the Strip and surrounding areas, marking a historic first as the only company to operate a fully autonomous ride-hailing service using purpose-built robotaxis. Unlike modified traditional cars, these vehicles were designed from the ground up for self-driving operations.
Even better: The rides are free — at least for the initial few months to bring awareness.
“The autonomous vehicle industry has made tremendous progress this year, moving us closer to a future of safer, more accessible mobility. With the launch of the first fully driverless ride-hailing service using a purpose-built robotaxi, Zoox is proud to be accelerating that future,” said Aicha Evans, CEO of Zoox in a statement. “Las Vegas, a city built on unforgettable moments, is the perfect place for our debut.”
Last November, Zoox, an Amazon subsidiary, announced that they would be testing their robotaxis on the Strip in preparation to allow its driverless cars to transport tourists and locals within the resort corridor and surrounding areas.
Robotaxis from Zoox have been traversing public roads in Las Vegas since June 2023, according to the company. In 2019, Nevada became the second state, after California, for Foster City, Calif.-based Zoox to launch operations.
The company began testing its vehicles in Las Vegas around its headquarters in the southwest valley, deploying a fleet of Toyota Highlanders that mapped the area and gathered data on unique driving conditions.
The cars have gone out autonomously with safety drivers on board to prepare for the deployment of the robotaxi fleet. The bi-directional robotaxi reaches 75 mph forward and backward and seats up to four passengers in carriage-style seating designed to “create a superior ride experience.”
This year, Zoox expanded to the Strip and some surrounding roads. Company officials noted the Strip was “full of complex driving scenarios, including more than eight lanes with multiple turning lanes, high speeds, heavy pedestrian traffic and large-scale intersections.”
Data collected by the robotaxis during the first few months on the Strip was used to help “train” the fleet of vehicles until Zoox is ready to provide people with driverless rides.
Robotaxis are regulated in Las Vegas
Nevada emerged as an early leader in autonomous vehicle regulation with the passage of Assembly Bill 511 in 2011, which authorized the Nevada Department of Transportation to establish comprehensive rules for driverless vehicles.
Under these regulations, autonomous vehicles undergoing testing or operating on highways must have a human operator. Additionally, any accidents involving these vehicles that cause personal injury or property damage exceeding $750 must be reported to the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles.
Earlier this year, 270 vehicles were recalled from streets due to software issues that were said to have caused a crash in April. An unoccupied Zoox robotaxi collided with a passenger vehicle on April 8, according to a report filed May 1 with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The recall fixed a defect in the automated driving system that could lead to inaccurate prediction of other vehicles’ movements, potentially increasing crash risk.
Robotaxis returned to the roads in May, rejoining companies like Waymo that have also taken their autonomous vehicles for a spin on Southern Nevada roads.
A study published last summer in the scientific journal Nature Communications found accidents involving driverless vehicles “generally have a lower chance of occurring” than human-driven vehicles, except when turning and in low-visibility conditions.
Mohamed Abdel-Aty and Shengxuan Ding, researchers in transportation, electrical and automotive engineering and computer science at the University of Central Florida, analyzed six years of data from 2,100 autonomous vehicles and 35,133 human-driven cars.
They concluded that the most advanced driving systems decrease the possibilities of cars running off the road and getting into rear-end, head-on or lateral collisions from 20% to 50%.
In June, Zoox announced that they had partnered with Resorts World Las Vegas in the first collaboration between a robotaxi service and Strip property.
The alliance creates a dedicated pickup and drop-off location at Resorts World for Zoox’s autonomous ride-hailing services. Resorts World also promised Zoox “additional onsite opportunities, including an experiential activation within the resort.”
“This collaboration with Zoox reflects our commitment to integrating technology solutions that elevate our service offerings and enhance how guests experience our property,” said Carlos Castro, president and CFO of Resorts World in a statement. “By welcoming Zoox robotaxis into our transportation ecosystem, we’re creating new possibilities for our guests, while reinforcing Las Vegas’s position as a global innovation hub.”
How to get a Zoox robotaxi in Las Vegas
Available for both iOS and Android devices, the Zoox application allows people to request a ride for free from various areas of the Strip and nearby, such as Resorts World Las Vegas, AREA15, and Topgolf. Zoox said that they will be adding new destinations in the coming months as they expand their service.
Pick up and drop offs will occur in the existing ride-hail zones of each destination except AREA15 and Resorts World Las Vegas, which have their own on-site Zoox Concierge. The concierge can welcome guests, walk them through the application, and answer any questions relating to the ride.
The application will also include estimated pickup times, real-time arrival updates, post-ride summaries with feedback options, and a clearly displayed license plate number correlating with the rider’s robotaxi.
If riders need support during or after their ride, they can contact a member of the remote Zoox support team through the application or via the “Help” button located on the rider screen within the robotaxi.
The company added that all rides will be free so riders can become familiar with the service and share feedback. Once they receive regulatory approval, they will begin to introduce paid rides in Las Vegas.
They did not share what the price for a ride could look like in the future.
“Eleven years ago, we started on a journey to fundamentally rethink transportation. The idea for Zoox was never to make a car drive itself; it was about creating an entirely new mode of transportation,” said Jesse Levinson, co-founder and CTO of Zoox in a statement. “After more than a decade of research, innovation, and testing, we’re incredibly excited to finally bring that vision to the public, starting in Las Vegas. Today’s launch of our service is only the beginning, and we look forward to scaling this safer, more enjoyable, and truly personal way to travel within Las Vegas and across more U.S. markets in the coming months and years.”
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