{
  "id": 5098303,
  "title": "Zoox’s Aicha Evans Is Reimagining Urban Mobility",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/02/zooxs-aicha-evans-is-reimagining-urban-mobility",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-09-02T13:30:36.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Time",
    "slug": "time",
    "url": "https://time.com/collection/time-trailblazers/2026/aicha-evans/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Aicha Evans, the CEO of Zoox, once saw the company's driverless robotaxi for the first time and was instantly captivated. She described it as falling in love with the vehicle, which has no steering wheel, pedals, or front or back. Her husband encouraged her to apply for the CEO position, and Amazon acquired Zoox six years ago for $1.3 billion, keeping her in the leadership role. In August, Zoox began charging for rides in Las Vegas and has since announced plans to expand to Los Angeles, Atlanta, Miami, and Austin. Later this year, Zoox taxis will also be available through the Uber app.\n\nUnlike Waymo, which adapts existing cars for driverless technology, Zoox constructs its vehicles entirely from the ground up, aiming to reimagine urban mobility. Evans believes the driving experience should be as seamless and enjoyable as flying, where passengers don't need to monitor a pilot but can use the travel time as they please.\n\nZoox's safety innovation is built around the idea that the entire vehicle is designed for the rider, not the driver. This is evident in the horseshoe airbag that envelops passengers, rather than deploying from the dashboard. The bench seats face each other, allowing friends to ride face to face. These design choices aim to elevate the journey beyond simple transportation, providing a unique and immersive experience.\n\nEvans, who was born in Senegal and raised in Paris, has always felt like an outsider. She credits her childhood experiences, particularly her admiration for Marie Curie, for fueling her ambition. Curie, the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, has served as a constant inspiration for Evans, embodying the spirit of understanding and breaking down barriers, much like the innovative spirit behind Zoox's self-driving vehicles.",
  "summary": "Zoox builds its robotaxis entirely from scratch, designing the entire vehicle around the rider rather than a driver.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}