Amazon launches robotaxi service in San Francisco in challenge to Google’s Waymo

Amazon's Zoox will give free rides in parts of the city in attempt to counter Waymo's early lead in self-driving taxis

Amazon's Zoox is launching its robotaxi service in San Francisco, offering free rides through parts of the city as it accelerates its attempt to challenge Waymo's early lead in the race to transport passengers in self-driving vehicles.

The expansion, announced on Tuesday, will be confined to a few major San Francisco neighborhoods and limited to people who signed up on a waiting list to ride in Zoox's gondola-shaped robotaxis, which have no steering wheel. The San Francisco launch comes less than three months after the Amazon-owned robotaxi company launched its first ride-hailing service along the Las Vegas strip.