Amazon is gearing up to make as many as 10,000 robotaxis annually at a sprawling plant near Silicon Valley as it prepares to challenge self-driving cab leader Waymo. Tesla CEO Elon Musk is also vying to join the autonomous race.

The 220,000-square-foot robotaxi factory announced Wednesday heralds a new phase in Amazon’s push into a technological frontier that began taking shape in 2009.

Amazon's Zoox has opened its first robotaxi serial production facility, it said on Wednesday, marking a crucial step towards launching a commercial robotaxi service that will compete with Alphabet's Waymo and Tesla.