The vehicle arrived. The doors opened. And nobody was sitting up front.

Eight of us had split into two groups to ride Zoox, the fully autonomous robotaxi quietly making its mark on the Las Vegas Strip. No driver. No steering wheel. Just a smooth, electric, surprisingly thoughtful ride through one of the most chaotic cities on earth.

I ended up facing backwards. The four seats inside a Zoox face each other in pairs, so depending on where you land, you're riding in reverse. My brain kept trying to orient my sense of direction to something a bit more usual, but the ride was surprisingly smooth and the backwards thing became part of the fun pretty quickly.

Speaking of fun: our group of four teenagers didn't spend a single second on their phones. That alone should tell you something. They were locked in, laughing, soaking it up. Meanwhile, our crew of adults had cameras out from the jump, determined to document every second as proof this was real life.

The cabin itself impressed everyone. Individualized climate controls, music available on demand, and a space designed with riders at the center of the entire experience. Zoox builds its vehicles from the ground up with that philosophy in mind, and you feel it the moment you settle in.

Then things got interesting.

Our car encountered an accident on the Strip. Vegas being Vegas. Before anyone could wonder what happened next, a calm voice came over the speaker. It explained the situation, offered guidance, and asked if we were comfortable. In a car with no driver, someone still checked in on us. That moment genuinely surprised me, and I mean that in the best way.

The other Zoox carrying our group had pulled away about 15 minutes earlier and had a completely smooth, uneventful ride. Between the two cars, we accidentally got the full Zoox experience: the joyride and the real-world test.

Worth noting: Zoox launched its Las Vegas robotaxi service in September 2025, and rides are currently free. The vehicles are fully electric, purpose-built for autonomous mobility, and designed to reduce urban emissions. A quietly meaningful thing happening in a city not exactly known for going easy on the environment. The name Zoox is even a nod to Zooxanthellae, a marine organism that depends on renewable energy. Sustainability is not an afterthought here. It is embedded in the DNA.

Would I do it again? Without hesitation. And if you are heading to Vegas, bring the whole family. The teenagers will put their phones away. I promise.