Zoox CEO Aicha Evans has highlighted the potential benefits of introducing self-driving “robotaxi” services, including reduced fares for passengers.
Speaking at the Harvard Kennedy School as part of the CEO Talks series, Evans explained that passengers spend huge amount on current ride-hailing services such as Uber and Lyft, adding that 80 cents of every dollar goes to the driver.
By removing the need for a driver, Evans believes that self-driving services could significantly reduce fares.
The interactive session at the Harvard Kennedy School was moderated by Aïssatou Seck, the Africa Policy Journal’s Development Policy Editor (Business, Law and Governance), and Mark Fagan, a lecturer in public policy at the Kennedy School.
The event was part of a series of lectures organized by Business & Government, a students’ interest group at the school
Zoox, which was acquired by Amazon in 2020, is developing autonomous vehicles that can carry up to four passengers and have no steering wheel or pedals.
However, Evans noted that more studies and investments are required to make the service successful.
Speaking at the Bloomberg Technology Summit in London in September 2022, Evans confirmed that Zoox is focused on rolling out its robotaxi services to a small-to-moderate scale in the near future.