Connect with us

San Francisco, CA

Zoox begins testing its unique robotaxis in San Francisco

Published

on

Zoox begins testing its unique robotaxis in San Francisco


Autonomous robotaxi developer Zoox has shared its latest progress update, which includes expansions into its second commercial market—San Francisco. The company has begun testing its proprietary robotaxis in the region and already has some specific neighborhoods in mind where it will want to begin offering driverless rides.

Zoox is a decade-old robotaxi developer taking a unique design approach to bringing driverless technology to the masses. Rather than converting existing EVs into robotaxis like its competitors, Zoox has designed and rolled out an entirely purpose-built EV without pedals or a steering wheel.

In February 2023, Zoox initially began rides on public roads in Foster City, California – marking the first time a purpose-built autonomous vehicle without any manual controls had done so. In June of that same year, the company began driving on public roads in Las Vegas in preparation for a full commercial launch.

Advertisement

That initial route in Vegas consisted of a one-mile loop near Zoox’s headquarters, offering the ability to transport as many as four passengers at speeds up to 35 mph (although the driverless EVs were designed to achieve speeds up to 75 mph). At the time, we reported that Zoox employees would conduct initial test rides before “expanding over the coming months.”

Earlier this year, we reported that Zoox had expanded its Las Vegas geofence to a five-mile route from headquarters to the south end of the strip, with multiple routes available in between at speeds up to 45 mph.

Today, Zoox provided a fresh progress update, sharing that it has begun testing its robotaxis in San Francisco before offering driverless rides to those local residents.

Zoox San Francisco
Source: Zoox

Zoox expands routes in Las Vegas, enters San Francisco

As you may have seen on Reddit, Zoox robotaxis were recently spotted navigating the streets of San Francisco, hinting at the possibility of commercial operations beginning in the Bay Area. Zoox confirmed such plans in a blog post earlier today.

Zoox shared that it has been testing its autonomous driving fleet in San Francisco since 2017, but always with a driver present. Per company CEO Aicha Evans, its bespoke driverless robotaxi has passed all necessary and critical safety measures to begin testing officially.

Zoox shared that initial testing will begin amongst employees only for validation purposes, similar to its initial operations in Foster City, California, about 30 minutes south. The robotaxi developer has chosen the SoMa neighborhood near Union Square and Oracle Park but said that it will expand its geofence to include additional neighborhoods as testing progresses. Per Zoox co-founder and CTO Jesse Levinson:

Advertisement

Zoox is the only company driving a purpose-built robotaxi on public roads without traditional manual controls. This expansion marks our third city for our robotaxi operations, following Foster City and Las Vegas. We’ve rigorously tested and validated our AI stack in multiple cities over the last seven years in preparation for the deployment of our robotaxi fleet. From day one, our robotaxis will be leveraging a deep history and understanding of this area.

In addition to the foundational tests to enable commercial operations in San Francisco, Zoox also shared details of its progress in Nevada, which now operates within an expanded geofence area that now includes the entire Las Vegas Strip and surrounding areas.

Like California, Zoox rides in Sin City are reserved for employees only for now but will soon be expanded to its staff’s families and friends. Additionally, the company shared plans for a new “Zoox Explorers” program rolling out in early 2025, offering rides to non-employees without charging for the service. Full commercial operations for paid public rides are expected to begin in Las Vegas later in 2025.

Zoox did not share a timeline as to when commercial robotaxi operations could begin in San Francisco.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Advertisement



Source link

San Francisco, CA

George Kittle used bottle of tequila to deal with devastating Achilles injury

Published

on

George Kittle used bottle of tequila to deal with devastating Achilles injury


San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle finished a bottle of top-shelf tequila after tearing his Achilles in the 49ers’ eventual 23-19 wild-card victory in Philadelphia Sunday night, according to The Athletic.

Kittle, who popped his Achilles in the second quarter, requested it after the injury, and a San Francisco employee was seen delivering a bottle of Patron to the 49ers’ locker room.

The bottle reportedly was sent from the owners’ suite at Lincoln Financial Field.

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle is carted off the field after an injury during the first half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, January 11, 2026, in Philadelphia. AP

49ers owner Jed York personally visited Kittle in the locker room and asked if he could get him anything — and that’s when the bottle of tequila was delivered a few minutes later, according to The San Francisco Standard.

Advertisement

Kittle was pushed out of bounds on a 6-yard reception and immediately grabbed his leg.

The All-Pro tight end was carted off the field and hobbled on one leg into the locker room, as seen in videos online.

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (85) looks on during warmups prior to an NFC Wild Card Round game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on January 11, 2026. Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

He was ruled out for the rest of the game.

York and Kittle’s wife, Claire Kittle, both appeared visibly somber as they entered the locker room, according to The Athletic.

The Niners were the underdogs heading into the wild-card clash with the reigning Super Bowl champion Eagles.

Advertisement

San Francisco was already down two key players in defensive end Nick Bosa (knee) and linebacker Fred Warner (ankle).

The Eagles’ offense was a mess.

They committed four drops on third down, the most in a playoff game since 2006, per ESPN stats.

The 49ers visit the top-seeded Seattle Seahawks in an NFC divisional playoff game on Saturday.

Advertisement



Source link

Continue Reading

San Francisco, CA

49ers Show ‘Resiliency’ in Upset Victory, Thanks to LFG Winner Demarcus Robinson

Published

on

49ers Show ‘Resiliency’ in Upset Victory, Thanks to LFG Winner Demarcus Robinson


The San Francisco 49ers suffered another devastating injury on Sunday. But, thanks to a strong supporting cast, they found a way to prevail once again.

San Francisco pulled off the biggest playoff upset so far in what’s been a wild wild-card round, defeating the Philadelphia Eagles, 23-19, on the road. Unheralded wide receiver Demarcus Robinson was a major reason behind Sunday’s upset as he hauled in six receptions for a game-high 111 yards and a touchdown en route to winning Tom Brady’s LFG Player of the Game.

When Robinson spoke with Brady after the game, it didn’t take long for him to find the one word to describe the 49ers. 

Advertisement

“If it was one word, I’d say resiliency. Resilient,” Robinson said of his team. “These guys play with resiliency. We’ve got a lot of injuries throughout the year. Even tonight, like you said, losing Kittle, guys stepped up and knew they had to make plays. That’s what we were able to do today, go out and make plays.”

Sunday’s victory also came in comeback fashion for the Niners, who rallied from a 16-10 fourth-quarter deficit despite losing tight end George Kittle in the first half to a torn Achilles.

Tom Brady’s LFG Player of the Game: 49ers WR Demarcus Robinson 🏆

Robinson’s resiliency was on full display on the 49ers’ opening possession. He turned an intermediate pass from Brock Purdy over the middle into a 61-yard gain, zigzagging through the Eagles’ secondary on his way to Philly’s 16-yard line. He then caught a 2-yard touchdown pass from Purdy to end the drive.

There was possibly no greater sign of the team’s resiliency, however, than the play that gave them a 17-16 lead early in the fourth quarter. After their offense seemed stuck in the mud for most of the game, the 49ers found the end zone when wide receiver Jauan Jennings threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to running back Christian McCaffrey on a trick play.

Robinson was just one of a few supporting characters who contributed to the 49ers’ win. Fullback Kyle Juszczyk had a season-high four receptions for 49 yards, making a pair of big grabs that helped set up touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Defensively, linebacker Garret Wallow had a game-high 11 total tackles after recording just nine total tackles in the regular season. 

Advertisement

The 49ers’ top player in McCaffrey also showed his resilience in the win. McCaffrey turned 21 touches into 114 yards and two touchdowns, with the second TD coming via a 4-yard grab with 2:54 remaining to give the 49ers a decisive 23-19 lead.

“I think the guys are just playing with resiliency, man,” Robinson said of his team. “Everybody knew what we had at stake. Everybody came out there and did their part. So, that helped us get the dub.”

The injury to Kittle was his second serious injury of the season after he missed time earlier in the year due to a hamstring tear. San Francisco has also seen some of its other stars get sidelined for the majority of the year, such as edge rusher Nick Bosa and linebacker Fred Warner.

Warner could potentially return later in the postseason, but another key piece in wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, who missed Sunday’s game, remains in limbo as he battles a knee injury. Of course, Purdy missed time this year due to shoulder and toe injuries that cost him eight games.

Despite all of that, the 49ers will now move on to play for a spot in the NFC Championship Game when they take on the Seahawks in Seattle next weekend. They nearly hosted the divisional round game, but lost to the Seahawks at home, 13-3, in the regular-season finale to give Seattle the NFC West and the conference’s No. 1 seed. 

Advertisement

Robinson is optimistic, however, that there will be a different result this time around. 

“Hopefully, we get the dub, obviously,” Robinson said. “We’ve just got to lock in, man. We’ve got to lock in and put more points on the board than we did last week at home. Just put more points on the board. The defense played lights out tonight. Hopefully, we keep playing that same way, man, and it leads to more dubs.”

Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!

 



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

San Francisco, CA

Philadelphia Eagles-San Francisco 49ers: Picks, odds for NFC Wild Card

Published

on

Philadelphia Eagles-San Francisco 49ers: Picks, odds for NFC Wild Card


The San Francisco 49ers (12-5) visit the Philadelphia Eagles (11-6) at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia for a Wild Card round showdown as the NFL playoffs get underway. USA TODAY’s panel of NFL experts have locked in their picks and predictions for the action. Here’s everything you need to know before kickoff on Sunday, January 11, including live updated odds and injury report news.

Name Week 18 2025 Season
Blake Schuster 11-5 141-111-7
Jon Hoefling 11-5 137-128-7
Tyler Dragon 6-10 128-137-7
Chris Bumbaca 7-9 115-121-6
Lorenzo Reyes 8-8 119-131-6
Jordan Mendoza 8-8 113-123-6
Richard Morin N/A 47-34-3

Eagles vs. 49ers live odds, moneyline, over/under

Opening Lines

  • Spread: Eagles (-3.5)
  • Moneyline: Eagles (-190), 49ers (+155)
  • Over/Under: 46.5

Get the edge with our exclusive NFL betting picks

Eagles vs. 49ers picks against the spread

Jon Hoefling: San Francisco 49ers (+4.5)

The Eagles feel like a lesser version of the Seattle Seahawks, and SF had several opportunities to win against Seattle in Week 18.

Advertisement

Tyler Dragon: Philadelphia Eagles (-4.5)

San Francisco has too many injuries. The 49ers will compete, but the Eagles are the best team in the tournament.

Lorenzo Reyes: San Francisco 49ers (+4.5)

This season, it was San Francisco’s defense that let it down. The lack of a pass rush and lack of turnovers kept games closer. The thing is, Philadelphia’s offense was also underwhelming, which was surprising given the talent on the roster. I think this is a case where the Niner offense carries the day, though injuries on defense are a concern. Either way, this line feels too big.

Christopher Bumbaca: Philadelphia Eagles (-4.5)

This is a “go with the best unit on the field” play. The one I’m talking about? The Philadelphia Eagles’ defense. Kyle Shanahan vs. Vic Fangio should be a treat though.

Jordan Mendoza: San Francisco 49ers (+4.5)

The defending champions have been up-and-down this season, and that gives San Francisco to catch the Eagles off guard. Brock Purdy finds his form to deliver a stunner.

Advertisement

Blake Schuster: Philadelphia Eagles (-4.5)

All San Francisco had to do was beat Seattle in Week 18 and it wouldn’t have had to leave home once during the postseason. Now the Niners have to go to Philly and face an Eagles team that’s probably furious after their season finale letdown. The Bay is about to experience some intense whiplash.

Eagles vs. 49ers updated injury report

NFL Playoffs Wild Card picks, predictions, odds

Super Bowl 60 updated odds



Source link

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending