Zoox

The Zoox company was founded in 2014 and is based in the State of California. The main goal representatives of a startup call creation of own unmanned vehicle. Project deadlines do not reveal.

'According to the Financial Times edition in the publication of May 26, 2020, the company is selected against the background of competitors with what tries to solve three problems at once: create a management system without drivers, adjust network of a call of the machine and transportations and also to arrange large-scale production of unmanned vehicles.

Initially the Zoox project  declared itself as  about service of the taxi of the future – without  driver, but  later was transformed to  the developer of compact devices on  electric traction, capable,  including, to be engaged in the goods delivery and  sendings.

History

2020

The presentation of a serial autonomous car without wheel

In December, 2020 Zoox provided completely autonomous electric vehicle without wheel.

The robotaxi can transport up to four passengers. Thanks to engines on each party of the electric vehicle it moves in any direction and gathers speed to 75 miles per hour. Two batteries, on one under each row of seats, generate enough energy for 16 working hours without recharge.

The presentation of the production car marks an important step for the company which works on the autonomous passenger car from the moment of foundation of the company in 2014.

Sale of Zoox of Amazon company

At the end of May, 2020 it became known of sale of Zoox of Amazon company. The price of the transaction is not set. According to the The Wall Street Journal newspaper, will pay less than $3.2 billion at which the company was estimated by investors in 2018 for the developer of pilotless cars.

We consider that $1.1 billion will be the fair price for the company that is 65.6% less in comparison with the previous assessment in $3.2 billion, – Forbes commented on a price question Asad Hussein, the analyst of Pitchbook, company which traces and estimates startups.

Purchased Amazon the developer of pilotless cars Zoox

The pandemic of a coronavirus caused damage to Zoox: it had to stop tests of the cars and also to dismiss about 100 employees, or 10% of all personnel. To a pandemic the test Zoox cars (the park consists generally of Toyota Highlander) were the frequent phenomenon on streets of San Francisco and Las Vegas, Financial Times notes.

It is supposed that investments into unmanned vehicles can become the next step of Amazon on automation of logistics. According to forecasts of analysts of Bloomberg, by 2025 the company will spend for delivery not less than $60 billion a year. If due to process automation these expenses manage to be cut down, then a game definitely costs candles, they consider.^[1]

2019: The claim from Tesla

Tesla submitted a claim on four former employees, having accused them of transfer of confidential information to a startup of Zoox Inc. which is engaged in development of autonomous cars. The case was settled in April, 2020 when Zoox agreed to pay compensation.

2017: Employment of 17 former developers of pilotless cars of Apple

The American startup of Zoox employed in the summer of 2017 of 17 specialists who were earlier engaged in development of the autonomous car in Apple. Reported about it to Bloomberg.

According to interlocutors of the agency, the engineers employed by the company will develop as traditional automobile elements like the suspender and brakes, and artificial intelligence for the system of off-line control. Earlier Mark Rozkind and the former top manager of Ferrari Corrado Lanzone joined Zoox the specialist of National administration by traffic safety on routes of the USA (NHTSA).

Notes

Robotics