[Auto] Zoox presents, together with Amazon, the autonomous electric taxi of the future

[#Steeven.™]

The evolution of mobility in the great cities of the world is causing the arrival of new companies. In addition, we must bear in mind that the technology has supposed an improvement in aspects such as driving in autonomous mode. Therefore, it is not surprising that technology and e-commerce companies are considering whether to take a step and get into this race. Thus, they could monopolize shared mobility and urban distribution services.

Amazon is one of those that is interested in this business. Not surprisingly, it is collaborating with Rivian to provide it with a fleet of electric vans for delivery. In addition, it has not had any qualms about expanding its portfolio of subsidiaries when it announced that it was taking control of the technology manufacturer Zoox Inc. Well, the next step was to present the fruits of its work, an autonomous electric taxi with a peculiar design and interesting concept .

Zoox's autonomous taxi can run for up to 16 hours straight

As stated by Zoox Inc., this vehicle is designed for dense, urban environments. That is, it could provide its services without any problem in congested areas of cities such as New York, Paris or Madrid. For their development, they have used a combination of artificial intelligence, robotics, car design and sustainable energy (electricity). And you can see the result in the images that accompany the text.

Zoox's taxi image is that of a cart with four wheels on its corners. This concept, in itself, is not new, as we have seen it in other proposals. However, the lines are simple and cubic, as it must offer a cabin with generous space. Of course, the maximum number of occupants is four, arranged in two rows and seated face to face. When adding autonomous driving technology, it does not have a steering wheel to control it.

As for its technique, we know that it is powered by an electric powertrain. The battery is large, with an energy capacity of 133 kWh. Thanks to it, the Zoox taxi can run continuously for up to 16 hours. This is because its capacity is one of the most generous of those on the market. Regarding safety, those responsible have announced that it includes an enveloping airbag for the seats.

One of the advantages of the Zoox taxi is in the technology it equips. It features a combination of cameras, radar and LIDAR to have a 270-degree field of view at all four corners of the vehicle. In this way, they virtually eliminate all blind spots, increasing safety on the move. For now this vehicle is being tested in Las Vegas, San Francisco and Foster City, although it is not known when it will hit the market.