

Backed by Amazon, Zoox is now better equipped to take on its primary rival, Waymo, an Alphabet subsidiary. This $1.2B deal provides the e-commerce giant with access to software, AI, and a full-stack self-driving solution. Amazon’s delivery robots will now serve select customers in Franklin, Tennessee and Atlanta, Georgia.Īdditionally, in June 2020, Amazon announced plans to acquire Zoox, a startup developing autonomous driving tech geared toward ride-hailing customers. In July 2020, the project expanded its geographical coverage.

These robots are currently making deliveries in a Washington neighborhood and in Southern California’s Irvine area during daylight hours, Monday through Friday, under the supervision of a human associate. In January 2019, the company introduced the Amazon Scout, a 6-wheeled electric-powered delivery robot.

The Rivian and Aurora investments aren’t the only autonomous technology play that Amazon is pursuing. “Autonomous technology has the potential to help make the jobs of our employees and partners safer and more productive, whether it’s in a fulfillment center or on the road, and we’re excited about the possibilities.” Amazon revealed a prototype of these delivery vehicles in January 2020.Īmazon’s investment in Rivian came on the heels of its deal in February 2019 with Aurora Innovation, an autonomous tech startup run by former Google and Tesla executives that pioneered autonomous driving teams at both giants.Īn Amazon company spokesperson told Wired about the investment: The US technology giant plans to buy these vehicles from Rivian, an electric automaker in which Amazon has invested $440M. In September 2019, Amazon said that it planned to put 100,000 electric delivery vehicles on the road by 2030, with deliveries starting as soon as 2021. More recently, an increasing percentage of that investment has been directed toward autonomous vehicle technology. It’s built its own fleet of cargo jets, explored delivery by drone in the form of “Prime Air,” and more. Over the last decade, Amazon has spent billions of dollars working on finding ever-better solutions to the last-mile problem in delivery.
