San Francisco continues to cement its role as one of the world’s most important testing grounds for autonomous mobility. The latest milestone: Zoox has begun offering limited public rides through its “Zoox Explorer” program in select neighborhoods, including SoMa and Mission. Through this initiative, invited participants can try the service at no cost while providing structured feedback as the company improves its technology and user experience.
For a city where innovation cycles are rapidly unfolding, Zoox’s entry represents another step toward a more diverse autonomous vehicle ecosystem—one where multiple operators, technologies, and service models coexist and evolve alongside the needs of residents and businesses.
A Zoox self-driving vehicle with sensor pods and a California license plate on a city street, San Francisco, California, September 18, 2025. (Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)
Gado via Getty Images
A targeted approach reaches real riders
Zoox’s vehicle, designed from the ground up without a steering wheel or pedals, stands out in a landscape dominated by later passenger cars. Bringing a purpose-built AV into limited public service is a major milestone – both for the company and the wider industry, which has long viewed purpose-built urban vehicles as a potential route to safer and more efficient operations.
The Explorer program allows Zoox to gather actionable information about rider comfort, routing, accessibility and interaction design. These insights—especially in complex mixed-use neighborhoods—will be valuable inputs as the company works toward scaled commercial operations.
Why it matters to San Francisco
Zoox’s presence contributes to a broader trend: the diversification of autonomous mobility offerings across the Bay Area. A variety of providers are helping cities better understand how AV services can fit into long-term transportation planning, constraint management, and emissions goals.
It also gives San Francisco residents more opportunities to experience autonomous travel firsthand. Early exposure matters—audience familiarity and trust often grow gradually, shaped by small but meaningful interactions.
A moment of momentum in the AV sector
Zoox’s expansion comes during a period of notable activity in the autonomous mobility space:
- Waymo continues to scalerecently passing major driving milestones and expanding service areas within San Francisco and beyond.
- Launches of new cities are acceleratingwith AV pilots and allowing conversations to take place in cities from Los Angeles to Nashville.
- Tesla has announced plans to launch its own self-driving car serviceindicating growing interest across the industry in offering more automated transportation options.
Together, these developments highlight a broader shift: autonomous mobility is moving from conceptual to practical, with an increasing focus on real-world development, service quality and collaboration with public agencies.
The role of cities in shaping what comes next
As more AV operators expand, cities will play an increasingly central role in defining how autonomous services are integrated into local mobility systems. Key priorities emerging in major urban centers include:
- Management of sidewalks and streets to ensure pick-ups, drop-offs and loading do not obstruct transport, cycling or walking.
- Clear licensing procedures that allow safe testing and incremental expansion.
- Data sharing frameworksusing incentives or requirements, to help cities monitor performance, assess impact and coordinate across agencies.
- Collaboration between departmentsincluding transportation, planning, public works and emergency response.
These efforts are less about regulating autonomy itself and more about supporting smooth operations in dense, dynamic environments where AVs are likely to have the greatest impact.
A step forward for urban mobility
The launch of Zoox in the San Francisco Explorer is a measured but essential step forward. It reflects the company’s confidence in its technology and its readiness to gather structured feedback from the public in a complex urban environment. It also adds momentum to a broader shift: autonomous mobility is becoming part of everyday transportation conversations, not just a futuristic idea.
As the AV ecosystem continues to expand, cities, operators and communities can learn from these early deployments. The next few years will be defined less by “big reveals” and more by continuous, incremental progress — from operational improvements to collaborative design. The launch of Zoox is part of that evolution, offering another window into how autonomous mobility could eventually be integrated into the way cities move.
