Zoox vs Tesla: How Amazon's 'toaster-shaped' robotaxi differs from Cybercab

Zoox and Tesla are taking different routes to driverless taxis. Here's how their robotaxis differ in design, regulation, manufacturing and deployment

Two major robotaxi companies are now operating on US roads, but their approaches differ. Amazon-backed Zoox has started offering public rides in San Francisco and Las Vegas with its purpose-built robotaxis, while Tesla is preparing to bring its purpose-built Cybercab into its Robotaxi service soon.

 

Both companies are developing vehicles designed for autonomous operation, but their approaches differ in vehicle design, deployment and manufacturing. Zoox's robotaxi was built from the ground up without a steering wheel or pedals, while Tesla's existing Robotaxi service currently uses Model Y vehicles.

 

Tesla's Cybercab is also being developed without conventional driving controls. Reuters, in a report published last week, said that Tesla was preparing to begin a Cybercab rollout in Austin, Texas, as soon as August, initially offering rides to employees on public roads before adding the vehicles to its Robotaxi service.

 

 

Tesla's website, however, currently describes Cybercab as a purpose-built fully autonomous vehicle that will offer rides in customers' areas “in the future”. The company has not provided a specific public launch date on its Robotaxi website.

How different is Zoox vehicle design from Cybercab

Zoox has designed its robotaxi specifically for autonomous operation. The Wall Street Journal, in a report published earlier this week, described its vehicles as “toaster-shaped”.

 

The vehicle has no steering wheel or pedals and seats four passengers in two rows facing each other. It is also bidirectional, meaning it does not have a conventional front or rear.

 

“Zoox has no front or back and can go in any direction,” the company said on its website. The vehicle uses four-wheel steering and has an active suspension system.

 

The company manufactures the vehicles itself. The WSJ report said that Zoox has about 100 vehicles in its fleet and produces them at a plant in Hayward, California, which has an annual capacity of about 10,000 vehicles.

 

Tesla's Cybercab also doesn’t have conventional driving controls. The two-seat vehicle was first unveiled in October 2024 and does not have a steering wheel or pedals. Tesla has said the Cybercab is a purpose-built fully autonomous vehicle.

 

“Cybercab, our purpose-built fully autonomous vehicle, will offer rides in your area in the future,” Tesla, on its website, said.

Where the two companies stand on deployment

Zoox is already operating a public robotaxi service. Its website listed Las Vegas and San Francisco as its current operating locations, with Austin and Miami listed as locations where it is expanding.

 

In San Francisco, Zoox said public riders can request rides through its service. In Las Vegas, riders can also access the service through designated locations.

 

Tesla has also begun offering autonomous Robotaxi rides, but its current service is based on Model Y vehicles rather than the Cybercab. Tesla's website lists Austin, Dallas and Houston in Texas, and Miami, Orlando and Tampa in Florida, as locations where Robotaxi rides are currently offered.

 

Tesla's Cybercab is being prepared for a separate rollout. Tesla is holding a Cybercab launch event in Austin and has promoted the vehicle through its Robotaxi programme.

What is the regulatory status of both companies?

Zoox has already gone through a regulatory process for operating its purpose-built vehicles. The WSJ reported that the company received permission to operate up to 5,000 vehicles under specified road and weather conditions, after regulatory concerns during the development process.

 

Tesla's current Robotaxi deployment is different because the service is operating with Model Y vehicles while the Cybercab remains in the rollout stage. The company's own website currently described Cybercab as “a vehicle that will offer rides in the future.”

 

The Standard, citing AFP, reported that Tesla's Cybercab launch is expected to begin with employee rides on public roads before the vehicle is incorporated into the company's Robotaxi service in Austin.

 

It also reported that state laws require many of Tesla's current Robotaxi vehicles to have a human supervisor or driver available to take control when necessary. 

How Zoox and Tesla differ in manufacturing

Zoox has built a dedicated serial production facility for its purpose-built robotaxi in Hayward, California. The 220,000-square-foot facility can assemble more than 10,000 robotaxis a year at full scale, according to the company. It handles robotaxi assembly, component storage, engineering and software-hardware integration, shipping and receiving, and end-of-line testing.

 

Zoox uses a modular approach to assembly, supported by the robotaxi's symmetrical design. Major components are preassembled by suppliers and then brought together at the facility. An automated transport system moves the vehicles between stations, while workers carry out most of the assembly. Robots are used for specific tasks, including applying adhesive for glass installation and moving the robotaxi along the assembly line.

 

The company also integrates diagnostics and testing into the manufacturing process rather than leaving most checks until the end of production. Zoox said this allows it to test electrical and software components as they are installed and identify problems earlier in the build.

 

The final stage is end-of-line testing, which is designed specifically for the autonomous vehicle. Each robotaxi goes through sensor calibration, wheel and headlight alignment, powertrain testing, water-leak testing and functional checks before an autonomous test on a closed track. The final dynamic test involves the robotaxi driving itself to validate its full autonomy system.

 

This is different from conventional vehicle production because Zoox has to validate not only the vehicle but also the systems that perform the driving. 

 

Corrado Lanzone, Zoox's vice-president of manufacturing and operations, on its website, said: “We are not building just a car; we are building the driver as well, which is the computer, the brain, the sensor systems, the eyes, and the ears of our robotaxi.”

 

Tesla is taking a different manufacturing route for the Cybercab. The first production Cybercab rolled off the line at Gigafactory Texas on February 17, 2026, with volume production targeted from April, according to Forbes.

 

Tesla is using its “Unboxed” manufacturing process for the Cybercab. Instead of moving a vehicle through a conventional sequential assembly line, the process builds several major modules in parallel before bringing them together during final assembly. Forbes reported that the approach involves assembling five to six major modules separately before they are joined together.

 

Tesla said its factories use robots alongside human workers, including for tasks such as lifting vehicles and aligning parts. The company said its manufacturing operations have the capacity to produce more than one million vehicles a year across its facilities.