Zoox and Waymo Las Vegas: How to Ride a Robotaxi

Las Vegas is the first city in the world where you can flag a fully autonomous robotaxi with no steering wheel, no driver, and no fare — and ride it between the Strip’s most iconic destinations. Zoox launched in September 2025, expanded across the resort corridor in March 2026, and Waymo is arriving this summer. Here is everything you need to ride.

Las Vegas Just Became the Most Interesting City to Get Around

Las Vegas has always been a city that moves fast and reinvents itself constantly. But what is happening on its streets right now is genuinely new — not just for Vegas, but for any city in the world. Zoox, the Amazon-owned autonomous vehicle company, launched its fully driverless robotaxi service in Las Vegas in September 2025, making it the first city where Zoox’s purpose-built vehicles operated without any human behind the wheel for public passengers. No steering wheel. No pedals. No driver. Just a boxy, electric, carriage-style vehicle that navigates the Strip on its own, picks you up at designated zones, and drops you off at your destination — for free.

Then in March 2026, Zoox more than doubled its number of pickup and drop-off locations, added the Sphere and T-Mobile Arena as official stops, announced a partnership with Uber, and began testing at Harry Reid International Airport ahead of future service. Waymo, the Alphabet-owned autonomous vehicle company with over 14 million paid trips and 100 million autonomous miles completed in other cities, announced its Las Vegas launch for summer 2026. Two robotaxi services in the same city. Both on the Strip. One is already running. The other is weeks away. Here is how to use them both.

Zoox: The One That Is Already Here

Zoox vehicles are purpose-built from the ground up for autonomous operation — not adapted from existing cars. The result is a vehicle that looks unlike anything else on the road. Roughly 12 feet long, boxy, grayish-blue, and symmetrical, it has no front or back because it can travel in either direction without turning around. Inside, four passengers sit in two pairs of facing seats in a carriage-style layout. There is no steering wheel, no pedals, no gear shift, and no driver seat. Each seat has its own climate control zone, wireless phone charging, and Bluetooth audio connectivity through a feature called ZooxCast. The cabin is quiet, smooth, and unexpectedly spacious. Riders who have taken it describe acceleration and braking as noticeably gentler and more consistent than a human driver, and the absence of any driving-related distraction in the vehicle creates a cabin experience that feels deliberately relaxed.

The vehicles operate using a layered sensor suite of lidar, radar, cameras, and ultrasonic units that feed into an onboard AI system for real-time perception, prediction, and path planning. This is Level 4 autonomous operation, meaning the vehicle handles all driving tasks in its defined service area without any human intervention at any point.

Where Zoox Picks Up and Drops Off

Zoox operates within a geo-fenced zone along the resort corridor. Rides begin and end at designated pickup and drop-off points — you cannot hail a Zoox from the sidewalk or any arbitrary address. As of the March 2026 expansion, the current confirmed stop list includes Resorts World Las Vegas, AREA15, Topgolf Las Vegas, Luxor, New York-New York, Wynn Las Vegas, Fashion Show Las Vegas, the Las Vegas Convention Center, Sphere, and T-Mobile Arena. The Sphere and T-Mobile Arena are the newest additions, with dedicated Zoox-branded signage and designated pickup zones at both venues. T-Mobile Arena has a dedicated Zoox lane at its West VIP entrance.

The full and most current stop list is always available inside the Zoox app, which updates as new locations are added. Airport service at Harry Reid International is in active testing and is expected to launch later in 2026. Each ride is capped at approximately three miles. Each vehicle holds up to four passengers.

How to Book a Zoox Ride

Download the Zoox app on iOS or Android. Create an account. Open the app and select your pickup location from the available stops. The app shows you real-time availability, an updated ETA, and the license plate number of your assigned vehicle when it is on the way. When your Zoox arrives, match the plate number displayed in the app to the vehicle, unlock the door through the app, step in, and buckle up. The vehicle confirms all seatbelts are fastened before departing. No cash, no tip, no interaction with a driver. At the end of the ride, the app asks for a short feedback survey. Rides are currently free for all users while Zoox works through the regulatory approval process to charge fares. Once approved, the company has stated pricing will be comparable to taxis and rideshare services.

Zoox concierges are stationed at partner properties including Resorts World and AREA15 to help first-time riders navigate to the correct pickup zones. Wait times vary but typically run 10 to 20 minutes. The updated ETA engine introduced in March 2026 gives significantly more accurate estimates before you commit to a pickup. A new “Find My Zoox” feature in the app helps you locate your vehicle in busy pickup areas. Zoox also announced in March 2026 that its vehicles will become bookable through Uber later in 2026, which will make it accessible without downloading a separate app.

Waymo: Coming to Las Vegas This Summer

Waymo, owned by Alphabet (Google’s parent company), announced its Las Vegas launch in November 2025 and expects full commercial service to begin in summer 2026. Waymo is the most established autonomous vehicle service in the world, with operations already running in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Atlanta, and Austin. It has completed over 14 million paid fully autonomous trips and 100 million autonomous miles on public roads. Its safety data shows 12 times fewer pedestrian injuries in crashes than human drivers.

Waymo vehicles in Las Vegas will be a mix of fifth-generation Jaguar I-PACE electric SUVs and Zeekr RT vehicles equipped with the sixth-generation Waymo Driver. Unlike Zoox’s purpose-built design, Waymo vehicles look like standard cars with a sensor dome on the roof. Inside, they seat up to four passengers with in-ride controls for temperature, music, and podcast streaming, plus the ability to add stops or modify destinations mid-ride. The launch will cover the Las Vegas Strip, and Waymo has stated it is working to eventually extend service to Harry Reid International Airport.

Waymo will be bookable through the Waymo One app on iOS and Android, and through a partnership with Lyft — making it accessible directly through the Lyft app for riders who already use it. New cities typically launch with an early-rider waitlist before opening to all users. Sign up at waymo.com now to get on the Las Vegas waitlist ahead of the summer launch.

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