here in San Francisco there is a new Robo taxi in town, Zoox, which is owned by Amazon, is rolling out its purpose-built Robo taxis in the city's SOMA neighborhood. And what does purpose-built mean? It means these pod-like vehicles don't have a steering wheel, driver seat

or pedals. They're designed strictly for passengers right out of the gate. Now these Zoox Robo taxis in San Francisco aren't ready for public riders yet, but I took an early test ride in Vegas where Zoox is also deploying its Robo taxis and

plans to launch commercially in 2025. It feels like, I mean I say this every time, but it feels like there's somebody in the driver's seat who's making sure to look both ways and then push the gas pedal. There's no gas pedal and there's no driver, so it's a

little weird. Pretty cool though. I got to see the vehicle navigate construction, multi-lane roads, and traffic signals, and I live to tell the tale. Back here in San Francisco, there's another Robo taxi roaming the streets: Waymo. This is the product of Google's parent company

Alphabet, and public riders can hitch a ride in one of these cars. You can also hail a Waymo ride in Phoenix and Los Angeles. Zoox is also testing its self-driving tech in retrofitted Toyota Highlanders in Austin, Seattle, and Miami. So the self-driving race is just revving up.

Inside the Zoox Robotaxi: No Steering Wheel, Pedals or Driver's Seat

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Introduction of Zoox Robo taxis in San Francisco

Amazon-owned Zoox is deploying its self-driving taxis in San Francisco's SOMA neighborhood.

The vehicles are 'purpose-built' without steering wheels, driver seats, or pedals.

Zoox Robo taxis are not yet available to the public in San Francisco but have been tested in Vegas.

The author describes a test ride, highlighting the unusual sensation of a driverless vehicle.

Comparison with Waymo and other self-driving initiatives

Waymo, from Alphabet, offers public rides in San Francisco, Phoenix, and Los Angeles.

Zoox is also testing self-driving technology in modified Toyota Highlanders in other cities.

Conclusion: The ongoing self-driving car race

The development and deployment of self-driving cars are rapidly progressing.