Amazon’s Zoox opens its first major robotaxi production facility

Amazon-owned autonomous vehicle company Zoox has inaugurated its first major production facility in Hayward, California, marking a significant milestone in its transition from development to commercial deployment. The 220,000-square-foot factory, located near Zoox’s Foster City headquarters, is designed for engineering, software and hardware integration, assembly, storage, and testing of its custom-built robotaxis. Zoox aims for the facility to eventually produce up to 10,000 robotaxis annually, supporting its expansion into multiple commercial markets. Currently, Zoox is testing vehicles in several U.S. cities and offering rides to employees in Las Vegas and San Francisco, with plans to launch an early-rider program for the public in 2026. The Hayward facility will initially support commercial operations in Las Vegas and San Francisco, with future rollouts planned for Austin and Miami. The factory employs a hybrid workforce of humans and robots, where human workers perform most tasks while robots handle specific functions such as adhesive application and vehicle transport along the