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Amazon buys autonomous vehicle startup Zoox for more than $1 billion

By Aaron Mamiit Published April 25, 2023

Amazon has agreed to acquire Zoox, a self-driving vehicle and ride-hailing service startup based in California with nearly 1,000 employees. The move could signal Amazon muscling in on Uber and Lyft’s territory.

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The deal was first reported by The Information, which said that Amazon is paying more than $1 billion for the acquisition. Amazon has since confirmed its purchase of Zoox, but did not disclose the transaction’s details.

“Zoox is working to imagine, invent, and design a world-class autonomous ride-hailing experience,” said Jeff Wilke, Amazon’s CEO, Worldwide Consumer, in a statement. “Like Amazon, Zoox is passionate about innovation and about its customers, and we’re excited to help the talented Zoox team to bring their vision to reality in the years ahead.”

Zoox, which was founded in 2014, has been working on self-driving vehicle technology for an electric-powered robo-taxi that customers will be able to request through a smartphone app. The startup has described its work as “creating autonomous mobility from the ground up,” and it appears that it will be able to continue its mission of developing a fully autonomous, purpose-built vehicle under Amazon.

Zoox CEO Aicha Evans — Zoox CEO Aicha Evans Steve Jennings / Getty Images

Amazon confirmed to Digital Trends that Zoox will operate as a standalone business, with CEO Aicha Evans and CTO/co-founder Jesse Levinson to continue to helm the company.

It is unclear if Amazon will be using Zoox’s systems to automate vehicles that will be used for delivering packages to customers, according to The Information. Amazon, which is no stranger to self-driving technology, may also be eventually looking to enter the ride-hailing space, where it will go head to head with Uber and Lyft.

Amazon’s acquisition of Zoox follows its purchase of the naming rights to the former KeyArena in Seattle, which will now be called the Climate Pledge Arena. The rebuilt arena will be carbon neutral and eventually zero-waste.

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Autonomous vehicles set to get their own special roads in Michigan

michigan plans special roads for autonomous vehicles only cavnue an arbor road

The state of Michigan has unveiled an ambitious plan to build roadways solely for autonomous vehicles. In what would be a first for the U.S., the initial route would cover a distance of about 40 miles and run between Detroit and Ann Arbor.

Part of Michigan’s ongoing efforts to establish itself as the hub of autonomous-vehicle technology research and development, the special road could be built alongside Michigan Avenue and I-94 and used initially for testing and also public transportation using autonomous shuttles.

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Archer’s flying taxis head to LA for the 2028 Olympics

archer air taxi la28 inglewood aerial a final

Remember the buzz about flying taxis zipping through Paris for the 2024 Olympics? That sci-fi fantasy never got off the ground —Germany’s Volocopter dream was denied certification, leaving fans staring at the same old ground traffic. But now, the skies are opening again for a second shot at glory—this time over Los Angeles.
Archer Aviation, the California-based electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) company, has been named the exclusive air taxi provider for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Archer’s Midnight aircraft, a piloted electric air taxi designed to carry four passengers, will be whisking around VIPs, fans, and stakeholders between venues and key locations like LAX, Hollywood, Santa Monica, and even Orange County. Think 10-20 minute flights that skip the infamous LA gridlock and land you right where the action is—on the roof, basically.
“We want to transform the way people get around Los Angeles and leave a legacy that shapes the future of transportation in America. There’s no better time to do that than during the LA28 Games,” said Adam Goldstein, CEO and founder of Archer Aviation.
And Midnight isn’t just a pretty rotor. It’s a whisper-quiet, emission-light aircraft with 12 rotors and a redundant, airline-level safety design.
What’s more, Archer and LA28 are working together to electrify vertiport hubs around the city—think futuristic sky stations—to serve not only Games-time needs but also to plant seeds for a post-Olympic air mobility network.
The air mobility market has been fast developing over the past few years, featuring the likes of Hyundai partnership with China’s XPeng HT Aero and Toyota's backing of Joby Aviation, a U.S. venture. Joby bought Uber Elevate in 2020, hoping to someday pair its air taxis with Uber’s ride-hailing app.
Archer, for its part, has been busy building a strategic partnership with United Airlines, which has already placed orders for the aircraft and is helping with logistics to integrate air taxis into airport-to-downtown travel. More than a demo for the cameras, the LA28 partnership will showcase urban air travel for real-world daily use, starting with one of the most high-profile events on Earth.
After raising false hopes in Paris, the air taxi dream is aiming for liftoff in LA—and this time, it might just stick the landing.

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Electric Muscle Misfire? Dodge Pulls Charger Daytona R/T from 2026 Lineup

electric muscle misfire dodge pulls charger daytona r t from 2026 lineup all new

The Dodge Charger Daytona R/T, once hailed as the vanguard of Dodge’s electric muscle car future, is being dropped for the 2026 model year.
According to a report from MoparInsiders, the Scat Pack variant will now lead the Daytona lineup, marking a significant pivot in Stellantis’ EV strategy.
Originally introduced with bold ambitions, the Charger Daytona R/T was designed to offer an accessible gateway into electric performance. With its 456-horsepower dual-motor setup and optional 509-horsepower Direct Connection stage kit, it seemed poised to excite both muscle car fans and EV newcomers. However, market realities have painted a different picture.
Industry and media reports highlight the core issue: buyers just weren’t biting. Despite its impressive specs and nostalgic design cues, the R/T struggled to justify its price tag, starting near $60,000. At that level, buyers expected either more performance or more premium features. Without strong sales traction, Dodge made the tough call to shelve the R/T variant for 2026, opting instead to focus on trims that resonate better with customers.
As we reported in December, the Charger EV was launched with an off-beat marketing message to “save the planet from self-driving sleep pods.” The goal was to retain Dodge’s brand identity—muscle, aggression, and driver engagement—even in the electric era. The Charger Daytona R/T was supposed to be the perfect balance of price and performance, but it seems the target audience wasn’t ready to make that leap at that price.
Importantly, this doesn’t spell the end of the Charger Daytona altogether. Higher-performance models like the Scat Pack and Banshee are still in the pipeline and, interestingly, are being adjusted for price competitiveness. Several trims are reportedly seeing price cuts, suggesting Stellantis is serious about making these vehicles more appealing and accessible.
For enthusiasts, the takeaway is clear: the electric muscle car isn’t going anywhere, but automakers are still figuring out how to sell it. The demise of the R/T is less a failure and more a recalibration—proof that even the boldest plans need to stay flexible in the face of consumer demand.