Zoox and Uber Team Up to Bring Summer of Robotaxis to Las Vegas This Year

If you’ve spent any amount of time driving around Las Vegas this year, chances are you’ve already spotted a Zoox car navigating the Strip. They are fully autonomous robotaxis that service multiple locations in the city’s main tourist corridor.

Now, Zoox is taking its next step forward by partnering with Uber to bring its autonomous vehicles to a bigger audience.

Starting this summer, riders in Las Vegas will be able to hail a Zoox robotaxi directly through the Uber app, which is the company’s first integration with a third-party ride-hailing platform. The company will also look to expand the partnership into Los Angeles by mid-2027.

“We are excited to partner with Uber, a company that shares our vision for transforming mobility,” said Aicha Evans, CEO of Zoox, in a press release. “This partnership is an opportunity to continue advancing the use of autonomous mobility in daily life. Through our collaboration, Zoox will provide a differentiated rider experience to those who already know and love the convenience of riding with Uber."

How Uber Partnership Will Change the Zoox Experience

Zoox already offers services to many casino resorts on the Strip in Las Vegas, including the Luxor, New York-New York, Excalibur, Resorts World, and the recently added Wynn. Riders can also use it to go to or depart from other destinations such as AREA15, Topgolf, Fashion Show Mall, and the Century Park business plaza near Allegiant Stadium.

With its presence already noticeable in the city, the partnership is designed to make robotaxis more accessible to the general public, especially to riders already familiar with Uber.

Once Zoox is integrated into the Uber app, anyone who opts in to autonomous rides may be matched with a Zoox vehicle, depending on their availability and route. But have no fear: riders will always have the option to switch to a traditional ride with a human driver. Those who book directly through the Zoox app will always get a robotaxi.

For now, the rides will remain free, with pricing details on Uber still to be announced.

The vehicles' ride experience is a big part of Zoox’s pitch to those unfamiliar with them. Unlike the retrofitted cars used by some competitors like Waymo, Zoox robotaxis are built differently with no steering wheels or pedals. 

"The Zoox robotaxi is unlike any other vehicle on the planet," said Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber, in a press release. "It was purpose-built from the ground up to deliver an extraordinary experience.” 

Since there’s no need to focus on the road or talk to a driver, they are meant to offer a more social experience on the way to your destination.

Why Las Vegas is the Perfect Place to Test This Out

Zoox said that with all of the tourists who come to Las Vegas, it was naturally a great starting point. 

The city is a great place to experiment with technology and developments that change the game for visitors exploring and gambling on the Strip.

Partnering with Uber will ultimately help them cover more ground with more exposure to people on another app. The Zoox app offers free rides, and they may remain free on Uber until the robotaxi company gets approval from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

“Las Vegas is one of the entertainment capitals of the world with concentrated points of interest on and around the Strip,” the company said. “There is also a high demand for ride-hailing here, given all that there is to do.”

With Zoox, people can use the service to get to many different casino resorts and attractions surrounding the Strip. New partnerships are also helping to expand their service in Las Vegas.

Zoox confirmed that it has official partnerships with T-Mobile Arena and the Sphere, among others in Las Vegas. They did not confirm when service will be offered to these destinations, but said that they are “looking forward to bringing riders to both of them in the coming months.”

The company, owned by Amazon, has also been offering free rides in San Francisco. But challenges remain for them in expanding and charging for rides.

This is mainly because their fully autonomous vehicles require an exemption from federal regulators because they lack steering wheels or pedals. The company has been working toward gaining approval from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration since late 2025.

There are also difficulties the vehicles have encountered in the real-world. Social media has captured instances of Zoox vehicles stopping in the middle of busy Strip intersections, highlighting the many “what-ifs” with these vehicles.

Even so, the Uber partnership is a major milestone for the robotaxi company. For both visitors and locals, robotaxis could soon become a more common way to move around the city.

(Photo: Travis P Ball / Sipa USA via Alamy Live News)