GoKawiilAmazon 's Zoox unveiled the "next evolution" of its toaster-shaped self-driving vehicle on Wednesday, adding more rider-friendly features ahead of a wider U.S. rollout this year.
The company said it's equipping the vehicles with higher-quality touchscreens, more comfortable seats and headrests, and small interior tweaks that will make it easier for passengers to spot forgotten items like keys and phones.
Zoox is also enlarging and relocating the robotaxi's "bidirectional reflectors," which help riders and others such as law enforcement distinguish the vehicle's front from its rear, so that they're easier to spot.
The updates come as Zoox is plotting expansion in additional markets and preparing to charge for rides later this year. The company, which Amazon acquired for $1.3 billion in 2020, is way behind Alphabet's Waymo, the U.S. robotaxi leader.
Waymo recently surpassed 500,000 weekly paid rides across 10 U.S. cities. It also plans to bring commercial service to several new cities this year, including London and Tokyo, the first international markets. By comparison, Zoox said Wednesday it has served more than 500,000 riders since it opened service in Las Vegas last September.