- Amazon is reportedly in talks to purchase autonomous-vehicle startup Zoox.
- Founded in 2014, the startup was expected to have self-driving taxis in San Francisco in 2020.
- Amazon is likely more interested in using Zoox's technology for package delivery than for ride hailing, so don't expect rides from Amazon robotaxis.
The autonomous-vehicle landscape is littered with dashed dreams and failed startups. Making a car drive by itself is not only hard, it's prohibitively expensive. So it's no wonder that the Wall Street Journal is reporting that self-driving-vehicle startup Zoox is currently in talks to be purchased by retail behemoth Amazon.
Zoox's long-term goal was to build the hardware and software for EV robotaxis. The company, founded in 2014, announced back in 2018 its intention to launch a ride-hailing service in San Francisco in 2020. Like many of its counterparts in the race to build a self-driving car, it didn't quite hit its goal.
It's likely that if Amazon does purchase Zoox, the technology that was supposed to be used for self-driving taxis will be used instead by the retailer for package delivery. The company's Scout delivery robots currently service Irvine, California, and Snohomish County, Washington, north of Seattle.
Expanding the capabilities of those self-driving boxes on wheels and introducing larger vehicles to its autonomous delivery fleet could potentially reduce Amazon's overhead.
For Zoox's part, it told the WSJ that it "has been receiving interest in a strategic transaction from multiple parties and has been working with Qatalyst Partners to evaluate such interest."
When reached by Car and Driver, Zoox told us, "We do not comment on rumors or speculation."