While many robotaxi companies retrofit existing vehicles with sensors, Zoox took a different approach under Amazon ownership. The company started with sensor placement rather than adapting a traditional car, positioning sensors at the four corners of its purpose-built vehicle for optimal situational awareness. This design philosophy reflects Zoox's belief that autonomous vehicles require fundamentally different engineering solutions.

Zoox's bidirectional, symmetrical design eliminates the concept of "front" and "back" in traditional vehicles. Director of robot industrial design Chris Stoffel explains that robotaxis have wildly different requirements from human-driven cars despite operating in the same world. The sensor placement on little ledges projecting from each corner provides particularly good coverage straight ahead, which would be nearly impossible on a retrofitted vehicle.

The symmetrical steering axles give the Zoox robotaxi unprecedented maneuverability. With both axles having the same degrees of steering, the vehicle can "crab walk" far more effectively than even the GM Hummer EV. This design eliminates the need for three-point turns and enhances efficiency for the ride-hailing service now operating in Las Vegas and San Francisco, where customers summon these pod-like vehicles on demand.