Zoox Becomes First Robotaxi Service to Las Vegas Airport

Zoox became the first driverless robotaxi service to transport passengers to and from Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas on Thursday (Sept. 3), beginning service at both Terminal 1 and Terminal 3. Zoox vehicles are shown in their designated area at Harry Reid International Airport. (Image: Zoox) Unfair Advantage? Instead of using the designated rideshare pickup zones, Zoox vehicles meet passengers at Level 0 in both terminals, meaning passengers simply exit baggage claim and head downstairs. This gives Zoox a competitive advantage over Uber and Lyft, whose pickup zones require a five‑ to ten‑minute walk to a parking garage above baggage claim.At Terminal 1, the Zoox pickup point sits beneath baggage claim near the corridor leading toward the E Gates. At Terminal 3, riders are directed to a spot near Door 55. The airport has installed signage to guide travelers to these locations. Drop‑offs occur curbside in the departure areas, just like a standard taxi or rideshare. Limited Destinations Reducing Zoox’s competitive advantage is the fact that the service only transports airport passengers to 10 resorts on the Strip. This list excludes major resorts such as the Venetian and Caesars Palace; off-Strip properties such as Virgin Hotels, Rio, and Palms; and all of downtown Las Vegas. Here’s the current list, in order of airport proximity (and, therefore, price): Zoox began charging for rides in Las Vegas on Aug. 10, ending its year‑long period of free public testing. (Image: Zoox) Mandalay Bay Luxor Excalibur New York-New York MGM Grand Aria Bellagio Wynn Resorts World Fontainebleau These are also the only resorts that Zoox cars may be ordered from — though they may also travel between Area15, Fashion Show mall, the Las Vegas Convention Center, Sphere, and Topgolf. (If users are not near a designated pickup location, the Zoox app will tell them they are too far and not send a car.) Zoox cars are also more limited than rideshare and taxi vehicles in the space they afford for baggage. Since they have no trunks, anyone traveling in a party of four with more than one large bag per person will probably not fit. (All bags must fit either in the open space between the facing seats on the cabin floor, on any empty seats, or on passenger laps.) According to initial user reports, prices were comparable to Uber or Lyft — $23 to the MGM Grand and $26 to the Bellagio, though fares vary based on demand and time. Your Competition Will Arrive Shortly Amazon-owned Zoox is now the second company to operate robotaxis at a U.S. airport. Waymo was the first, launching airport service in Phoenix on November 1, 2022, and later at San Jose, San Francisco and San Antonio. Competition, however, is about to intensify. In August, Tesla, Uber, and Waymo all received commercial robotaxi permits from the Nevada Transportation Authority, enabling future deployment of autonomous services across Clark County. Combined, these permits could allow as many as 8,000 robotaxis to operate in the region over the next year — setting the stage for Las Vegas to become one of the world’s most concentrated autonomous‑vehicle markets. The post Zoox Becomes First Robotaxi Service to Las Vegas Airport appeared first on Casino.org.