Jeff Bezos‘ companies are taking on Elon Musk‘s businesses on two fronts, as Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) owned Zoox unveiled its updated Robotaxi while Bezos-owned Blue Origin showcased new technology aimed at future Mars missions.
Zoox Unveils Updated Robotaxi
Zoox, on Wednesday, revealed the updated version of its Robotaxi, saying that the company can produce over 100 units of the vehicle.
The hardware of the vehicle remains unchanged and the updates targeted better ergonomics and comfort for the passengers. However, Zoox has introduced a better touchscreen and an improved two-way audio system.
The vehicle continues to feature a LiDAR-enabled self-driving suite and bidirectional design. The vehicle offers four seats with face-to-face bench seating.
Zoox also said that the company has completed over 500,000 rides since it rolled out its service in Las Vegas. In contrast, Alphabet Inc.‘s (NASDAQ:GOOGL) (NASDAQ:GOOG) Robotaxi service Waymo, which operates in over 10 cities across the U.S., provides 500,000 rides per week.
Meanwhile, Tesla Inc.‘s (NASDAQ:TSLA) Robotaxi vision got a boost as the Cybercab was hailed by the Texas Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Executive Director.
Blue Origin Touts Mars Tech
Blue Origin, which scored key Lunar NASA contracts last month, also touted its Mars technology via a post on the social media platform X on Wednesday.
Dave Limp, the company’s CEO, took to X to showcase the company’s Blue Ring Mars Telecommunications Orbiter (MTO), which provides propulsion and Earth communication, “simplifies requirements for orbiters and landed assets” on the surface of Mars.
The orbiter provides “next-generation high-resolution imagery, weather and dust storm monitoring, and ice mapping for fuel resources,” Limp said.
Quoting his post, Blue Origin said that the orbiter enables “standard transfer windows to Mars and timely insertion into an initial Martian orbit.”
The orbiter features both electric and chemical propulsion, which the company says provides enhanced “performance and payload capacity during interplanetary cruise.”
Notably, Mars has been a key goal for Musk and SpaceX, with the CEO’s pay package also containing establishing a colony on Mars with a million residents as a stipulated milestone to achieve the CEO compensation award.
SpaceX’s New Starfall, Senior Notes
Space Exploration Technologies Corp (NASDAQ:SPCX), a key rival of Blue Origin, recently achieved a milestone in its orbital payload goals. SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, testing Starfall, which is a new disk-shaped uncrewed reentry capsule designed to return cargo from space.
The company also raised over $25 billion via unsecured senior notes, which SpaceX says will help the company pay off bridge loans. SpaceX had raised close to $86 billion via its blockbuster IPO.
Check out more of Benzinga’s Future Of Mobility coverage by following this link.
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock.com
Login to comment