Safety Questions About Zoox's Autonomous Taxi Rollout in SF

Zoox recently announced their plans to launch an autonomous taxi service in San Francisco, and a few aspects of their announcement stood out to me.

First, Zoox’s vehicle design is custom-made. Since it's not sold direct to consumers the vehicle hasn't been evaluated by the NHTSA to determine how it performs in crash tests. While these autonomous taxis will be navigating city streets where speed limits average around 25 mph, it’s worth noting that speeding is common, and vehicles on the road are getting heavier, whether they’re larger SUVs, trucks, or EVs packed with batteries. I’d like to see Zoox consider creating and sharing detailed crash test safety data for added rider assurance.

Additionally, Zoox’s CEO, Aicha Evans, stated that they have “passed all critical safety measures,” but the announcement didn’t link to any specific data or sources. This leaves me wondering whether these are internal safety standards, independent third-party verifications, or a mix of both. It would be helpful to know exactly what “critical safety measures” Zoox vehicles have passed.

I'm probably being a bit cynical but the announcement struck me as somewhat disingenuous, given Zoox’s claim that they want to engage with the community and answer questions. While they express a desire for open dialogue, they haven’t provided any direct means to contact them with questions or concerns. I’d have preferred to share this feedback privately rather than in a public forum.

I’m a strong believer that our roads will become safer with the introduction of more automation. However, a rollout like this would benefit from greater transparency—especially around vehicle safety data, the standards they’re using to evaluate the fleet’s readiness, and an accessible channel for community feedback. After all, we’re all sharing the road, and building trust requires open communication.