Amazon's Zoox to Launch Paid Rides in Las Vegas

By Connor Hart

Amazon.com-owned robotaxi service Zoox said it would launch paid rides in Las Vegas next week, shortly after the company was given the green light from federal regulators to begin charging customers for rides.

The company said Wednesday it would begin to charge for rides in Las Vegas as of Aug. 10. Fares would be calculated from a base price, scaled to account for the distance of the ride and amount of time passed between pick-up and drop-off.

Destination fees, such as trips to or from the airport, may also be included, as is similar in the pricing structures for other ride-hailing and traditional taxi services, the company said. The full fare would be visible before booking.

"This is an important moment for Zoox as a business, and also comes less than a year after we first launched our service to the public in Las Vegas," Zoox said.

The launch comes after Zoox last week received approval from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to begin charging for rides, a first for a company with purpose-built autonomous vehicles that lack conventional controls.

Unlike some vehicles from competitors such as Tesla and Alphabet's Waymo, Zoox's robotaxi doesn't have a steering wheel or brake pedals. The vehicle, some say, resembles a toaster on wheels.

Up to this point, Zoox has offered free rides in Las Vegas and San Francisco, where more than half a million passengers have tested out its specialized AV. The company is planning on soon offering rides to the public in Austin, Texas, and Miami.

Write to Connor Hart at connor.hart@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

August 05, 2026 13:19 ET (17:19 GMT)