Amazon Buys Driverless Startup Zoox, Cites Ride-Hailing Goal
- No terms were disclosed but one report put price at $1 billion
- Autonomous vehicles confront technical and regulatory hurdles
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When news broke last month that Amazon.com Inc. was interested in buying Zoox Inc., observers assumed the e-commerce giant was looking to automate its delivery fleet. After all, Amazon already invested in an electric truck maker and is a major buyer of everything from planes to diesel vehicles.
But in a statement on Friday confirming its acquisition of the autonomous vehicle startup, Amazon touted Zoox for its ride-hailing ambitions. Ride hailing? Amazon?