Amazon’s Zoox to Expand Robotaxi Production Ahead of U.S. Rollout, FT Reports

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Zoox, the self-driving vehicle subsidiary of Amazon, plans to scale up production in 2025 as it prepares for a broader commercial rollout of its robotaxi fleet across the U.S., according to a report by the Financial Times on Wednesday.

Co-founder Jesse Levinson said the company will open a new facility in California’s Bay Area, significantly expanding beyond its current production site in Fremont. The new location is expected to support Zoox’s goal of producing hundreds—eventually thousands—of custom-built robotaxis.

To date, Zoox has deployed about two dozen purpose-built autonomous vehicles across six U.S. cities. It plans to begin public ride services in Las Vegas this year, with San Francisco to follow.

The expansion comes amid a shift in federal regulatory attitudes toward self-driving technology, as the Trump administration recently signaled plans to ease some vehicle safety regulations and reduce mandatory incident reporting, in an effort to accelerate autonomous vehicle deployment.

Zoox joins a crowded field of competitors in the U.S. robotaxi market, including Tesla, Waymo (owned by Google’s parent Alphabet), and GM’s Cruise. All have faced regulatory scrutiny, with U.S. authorities investigating safety issues related to autonomous driving systems—including vehicles operated by Zoox.

Grab Eyes Q2 Acquisition of Indonesian Rival GoTo in $7 Billion Deal, Raising Antitrust Concerns

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Grab Holdings is working toward a deal to acquire Indonesian rival GoTo in the second quarter of 2025, in a move that could dramatically reshape Southeast Asia’s ride-hailing and delivery landscape, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. The proposed deal, valued at around $7 billion, is currently under negotiation with advisors and banks, and remains subject to financing terms.

Grab, which is headquartered in Singapore and listed on the Nasdaq, seeks to acquire GoTo’s international unit in Singapore, as well as its entire Indonesian operations excluding its finance arm, sources said. GoTo, which provides e-commerce, food delivery, and digital financial services, is backed by SoftBank and Taobao China Holding and is widely seen as Indonesia’s largest digital ecosystem.

A deal between the two would result in a dominant regional player controlling an estimated 85% of Southeast Asia’s $8 billion ride-hailing market, according to Euromonitor International. In Indonesia, the merged entity would hold over 91% market share, and nearly 90% in Singapore, raising significant antitrust concerns.

“Markets, especially in Indonesia and Singapore, will impose strict scrutiny,”
said David Zhang, Euromonitor’s insights manager for Asia, noting the high likelihood of regulatory blocks in key markets.

Still, some analysts believe Indonesian regulators may adopt a more pragmatic stance. According to Niko Margaronis of BRI Danareksa Sekuritas, authorities might weigh the long-term economic value and competitive strength that could result from consolidating two major tech players.

This potential merger follows increased regulatory pushback against consolidation in Asia’s digital services sector. In March, Uber dropped a $950 million bid for Delivery Hero’s Foodpanda in Taiwan after authorities blocked the deal on anti-competition grounds.

Grab, backed by Uber, offers delivery, ride-hailing, and financial services across Southeast Asia. Its shares are up 2.4% year-to-date, with a market value of nearly $20 billion, while GoTo has seen a 20% rise in 2024, reaching a market value of about $5.8 billion, per LSEG data.

Both Grab and GoTo declined to comment on the report.

Equinix Malaysia Explores Alternative Energy Ahead of July Tariff Hike Amid Data Center Expansion

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Equinix Malaysia, the local arm of global data center operator Equinix, is evaluating alternative energy providers to mitigate the impact of a 14.2% electricity tariff increase set to take effect in July, the company said on Wednesday. The tariff hike is expected to significantly raise operational costs, especially for energy-intensive data center operations.

Cheam Tat Inn, managing director of Equinix Malaysia, stated during a media walkabout at the Cyberjaya data center—now completing its second phase—that the company is actively engaging with renewable energy providers, although specific sources and timelines have not been disclosed.

Equinix currently operates two facilities in Malaysia:

  • Cyberjaya with a capacity of 4.8 megawatts (MW)

  • Johor with 2.4 MW, which is fully subscribed following its launch in May 2023.

Cheam added that customer occupancy at the Cyberjaya site is rising rapidly, underscoring strong regional demand for digital infrastructure.

Malaysia is in the midst of a data center boom, with forecasts projecting a fourfold increase in facilities over the next decade from the current 18, collectively demanding over 800MW of electricity. The surge is largely driven by the growing demand for AI and cloud services, with tech giants such as Microsoft, Nvidia, Google, ByteDance, and Oracle investing billions in the country.

Equinix has also been aggressively expanding across Southeast Asia, acquiring three data centers in the Philippines last year and maintaining operations in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore as it positions itself to tap into the region’s digital growth trajectory.