Zoox, a company that’s part of Amazon Corporation, has obtained the necessary clearances to launch a self-driving taxi fleet in the U.S. State of California. According to Reuters, the cars proposed for use lack any kind of manual controls.
Zoox prides itself on being the first company to obtain road use certificates for its self-driving cars without third-party assistance. It is unclear whether the claim is accurate, though, as many other businesses are implementing similar solutions right now.
The Zoox VH6 is an ultra-compact four-seater microbus that comes in at 3.6 meters (11.8 feet) long. It has virtually no overhangs to speak of, employs sliding doors and houses two bench seats facing each other.
Passengers can take advantage of wireless charging devices and touchscreens providing access to HVAC settings and other features.
The chassis supports four-wheel steering, making the car highly maneuverable and capable of moving forward regardless of its cabin orientation. A single electric motor handles the propulsion in tandem with a giant 133-kWh battery unit reportedly sufficient for a whole day of work.
The autonomous driving software on board is proprietary, Zoox points out. The system uses LiDARs, radars and cameras to recognize objects in all directions within the effective radius of 150 meters.