Hey, good looking

We’re rolling out some updates across our test fleet. It’s got a fresh look. And that look signifies a few other changes we’re really excited about.

New year, new look

Since 2014, we’ve been working on our two vehicle platforms in parallel. Our test vehicles play an integral role at Zoox, allowing us to test and validate our software and hardware while we prepare our purpose-built vehicle for the public. One consequence is that our test vehicle and our robotaxi look quite different.

That’s still true with our new design. But our test vehicle has moved closer to our robotaxi in a few critical ways.

First things first: there’s an updated roof module, developed in-house, with near-identical geometry to our robotaxi. It means we can learn even more from our test fleet and be confident those learnings will map across to our robotaxi.

You might spot some more subtle changes to the roof module, too. For example: extra vents to help with heat dissipation. Our test vehicles carry a lot of advanced technology in a small package, so managing thermal performance is critical, especially when testing in warmer cities like Las Vegas. 

Let’s get modular

Our latest test vehicle also moves to a new modular assembly system.

Before now, the sensor architecture on our test vehicles was custom-built. This put a limit on how quickly we could scale our test fleet. That limit is finally behind us. Now, they’re modular, meaning we can bring our test vehicles to more cities, faster, and be more confident that each one is precisely the same, and will perform in the same way.

Another benefit of the updated modular design is that it encapsulates all of the hardware and framework of our sensor architecture. This is especially important for test sites such as Seattle where inclement weather is more frequent.

A bright future

Finally, there’s the most obvious change of all: our test vehicle has had a glow-up. The new color scheme is as bright and beautiful as the technology inside.

It’s designed to be more approachable, as well as more recognizable out on the street. Keep your eyes peeled for the new look as it rolls out across San Francisco, Las Vegas, and Seattle.