Zoox is opening a Bay Area factory to build and train its robotaxis
A Silicon Valley robotaxi company that's angling to compete with Waymo opened a second East Bay factory on Wednesday, aiming to jolt production and pave the way for passenger service in San Francisco and other cities.
Zoox, known for its buggy-shaped robotaxis and self-driving modified Toyota Highlanders, has for months been testing its vehicles in the wilderness of San Francisco traffic. The Amazon-owned company has reached an inflection point with its new manufacturing plant in Hayward, which will supply fleets 'at scale' for a commercial launch.
While Waymo has built a business by installing its software into retrofitted vehicles that are manufactured by traditional automotive companies — the Waymo robotaxis that have become ubiquitous on San Francisco streets are electric Jaguar I-Pace crossover SUVs — Zoox is vying to be the first company to manufacture robotaxis in-house for commercial use.
In addition to the Hayward factory, Zoox runs a small plant in Fremont. Workers there mostly assemble the Toyota testing fleet, along with the cameras and sensors that allow self-driving cars to navigate a complex environment.
By contrast, the sprawling facility will encompass 220,000 square feet and serve a variety of functions. Among them: robotaxi engineering, parts storage, shipping, hardware and software integration.
Vehicles will glide off the production line and roll through a series of testing stations, including a simulated rain storm, a dynamometer to measure force and torque at speeds up to 75 miles per hour, a light tunnel to check for scratches and an outdoor track to check 'pick-up and drop-off behaviors,' on a sample road with a bumpy stretch.
Once Zoox starts offering rides to the public, the company anticipates a spike in demand for vehicles, and a need to rapidly accelerate production. With the new factory, Zoox will have flexibility to respond to market conditions.
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