Zoox, the autonomous vehicle company started by Amazon, has formally inaugurated its first large-scale production facility in Hayward, California. This new 220,000-square-foot facility will serve as the heart and hub in assembling highly specialized, purpose-built robotaxis designed to target multiple commercial markets. Located near Zoox’s headquarters in Foster City, the Hayward facility marks the company’s second production site in the Bay Area, complementing an existing assembly warehouse in nearby Fremont.
Today, Zoox is testing its vehicles in a handful of U.S. cities. Employees are already enjoying free rides in the robotaxis across Las Vegas and San Francisco. These two cities will be the first markets—likely serving as Zoox’s commercial rollout proof of concept—that Zoox will launch into commercially. The firm intends to deploy its operator-in-the-loop services to Las Vegas first, and afterwards to San Francisco.
The expected public rollout of Zoox’s autonomous robotaxis starts with some kind of early-rider program in 2026. This initiative aims to provide insights and feedback from users, allowing the company to refine its technology and service offerings before a broader launch.
The Hayward production facility will not only focus on assembling the robotaxis but accommodate future growth as it serves multiple commercial markets. These are just a few examples of how Zoox is testing the limits on innovation beyond autonomous driving. The opening of this new facility is another huge step towards realizing their vision of a fleet of fully operational, self-driving vehicles.