Amazon's Zoox opens its first major robotaxi production facility

Core Insights - Zoox, an Amazon-owned autonomous vehicle company, has opened its first full-fledged production facility with plans to build 10,000 robotaxis per year [1] - The facility signifies Zoox's transition from development to production, with public access to robotaxi services expected to begin in 2026 [1] Facility Details - The new 220,000-square-foot factory is located in Hayward, California, near Zoox's headquarters in Foster City, and is the second production facility in the Bay Area [2] - The facility will focus on engineering, software and hardware integration, assembly, storage, and testing of custom-built Zoox robotaxis for various commercial markets, starting with Las Vegas and San Francisco [3] Operational Aspects - The factory's design allows for adaptability to different vehicle designs as the robotaxi lineup expands, and it will be operated by a combination of human workers and robots [4] - Human workers will perform the majority of tasks, while robots will assist with specific functions such as adhesive application for glass installation and transporting vehicles along the assembly line [4]