subtle Roboshuttle

San Franciscans are no strangers to robotaxis, having seen various startups use the city as a testing ground for nearly a decade with varying levels of success, at times freezing in intersections or being crowned with the Cone of Shame. But despite these early hiccups, one company has reached an important milestone in the autonomous sphere this week.

Zoox has opened the doors of its futuristic shuttle to the public in San Francisco, letting those who’ve signed up early off the waiting list and allowing them to use the SAE Level 4 shuttles for free.

But just how big of a fleet will be allowed to roam areas of the city, already full of Waymo robotaxis that have recently been allowed to use freeways, remains to be seen.

The custom-made, four-seat shuttles feature no driver controls and are designed to transport several passengers heading to different destinations, thereby acting in ride-pooling mode. But at the moment the shuttles operate as robotaxis carrying one or more passengers to one destination at a time, letting them enter a street address or drop a pin at their desired destination on their app.

Its proprietary shuttle is what sets Zoox apart from other robotaxi hopefuls. Featuring four-wheel steering and no defined front or back, the EV can move in either direction. Designed with subway-style doors, it can carry up to four passengers at once.

The startup’s service area is limited for now, comprising most of SoMa, Mission, and the Design Districts.

The next step for Zoox will be launching a service for paying customers in the city, which will require a different kind of permit from city regulators. Until now, the Zoox shuttles have mostly been testing in a very limited area along the Las Vegas strip.

The launch of San Francisco operations encompasses a larger area with more complex roads.

If the whole driverless shuttle idea seems familiar, that’s because GM had been working on a similar shuttle years ago, dubbed Cruise Origin. But the program was shuttered along with the company’s smaller Chevy Bolt robotaxi, with the automaker turning its attention to automated driving in privately owned vehicles.

Zoox’s closest competitor will likely be Volkwagen’s ID. Buzz AD, which can also act in ride-pooling mode in addition to offering point-to-point service for a single passenger or group. VW has recently partnered with Uber in the US with the aim of using the ID. Buzz as a robotaxi, though a concrete timeline for the start of operations has yet to be revealed.