Skip to main content

Amazon 'in talks to buy' AV start-up Zoox

Any such deal would move online giant into driverless world
By Adam Hill May 27, 2020 Read time: 1 min
Amazon is 'in talks with' driverless vehicle specialist Zoox, says WSJ report (© Andrey Suslov | Dreamstime.com)

Amazon is in "advanced talks" to acquire autonomous mobility start-up Zoox, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Neither company has commented on the report, which says that the deal would value Silicon Valley-based Zoox below $3.2 billion.

Amazon is heavily involved in electric vehicles has been less bullish publicly about AVs.

However, home deliveries - a key part of Amazon's offering - is one area in which driverless vehicles might be expected to make an impact.

On its website Zoox, which was formed in 2014, sets much store by its experience in complex road environments.

"Zoox is driving autonomously in ways that no one else has shown. We are driving in cities and on highways. Making unprotected lefts and rights on red. Yielding to pedestrians and passing double parked vehicles."

It describes San Francisco and Las Vegas as 'anchor' markets "for us to rigorously test and validate".

The company says it applies "the latest in automotive, robotics and renewable energy to design a symmetrical, bidirectional, zero-emissions vehicle from the ground up to solve the unique challenges of autonomous mobility".

Below is a video showing a 'fully autonomous' Zoox drive through San Francisco...

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • The rise and rise of robo-car
    July 23, 2019
    When it comes to driverless cars, there are many variables – but one thing is for certain: autonomous driving will have a significant impact on vehicle design, says Andreas Herrmann The transition to autonomous vehicles (AVs) means that many of the factors which have shaped automotive design for the past 130 years no longer apply. At present, the design of a car is largely determined by the anticipated direction of travel: the car’s silhouette immediately shows where the front and back are. Driverless ve
  • Bird pledges $150m to Euro programmes
    March 19, 2021
    Money will be spent during 2021 on sustainable micromobility schemes and products
  • Polis and UITP issue EU ticketing principles
    March 3, 2021
    Partners say authorities must have central role in Mobility as a Service governance
  • Joanna M. Pinkerton: “Mobility should be ubiquitous for people"
    January 3, 2024
    A chance meeting with a US Air Force recruiter may have changed Joanna M. Pinkerton's life: the boss of Central Ohio Transit Authority tells Adam Hill about this and explains why an outcomes-based approach to transportation is so important