Zoox, the self-driving unit of Amazon, is expanding its autonomous vehicle testing to more cities.
The two cities mark Zoox’s fourth and fifth test destinations, following Las Vegas, San Francisco and Seattle.
The news comes amidst increased scrutiny of self-driving car companies by federal regulators, including Zoox and Waymo, over safety concerns. In response, Zoox has been taking a slow and measured approach to testing and scaling its technology.
A spokesperson for Zoox stated that the company began mapping the new cities this spring and will deploy its test fleet of retrofitted Toyota Highlanders over the summer. The vehicles will have safety drivers behind the wheel and will be restricted to “small areas near the business and entertainment districts.” The exact number of test vehicles has not been disclosed.
Zoox plans to use the unique urban environments of Austin and Miami to fine-tune its autonomous system. Austin, with its horizontal traffic lights, railway crossings, and thunderstorms, will present a set of challenges for the company to overcome. In Miami, suspended traffic lights and impatient drivers will provide further testing scenarios.
The company’s testing protocol involves both planned routes with known challenging driving features, as well as random routes within a defined geofence.
“We always start with a focused testing area, expanding methodically as our AI gets more familiar with the unique conditions in each city,” reads a blog post by Zoox.
While Zoox has a permit to test its vehicles without safety drivers in certain parts of San Francisco and Foster City, the company is not yet ready to launch commercially in those areas. Instead, they are targeting Las Vegas as one of their first launch cities, alongside Austin and Miami.
However, Zoox’s signature purpose-built robotaxis, featuring no steering wheel or pedals and sliding side doors, will not be seen on the streets of Austin or Miami just yet. The company has recently begun limited testing of these fully driverless vehicles in Las Vegas and San Francisco, with plans to start offering rides to passengers later this year. They have also been granted a driverless AV pilot permit in California, allowing them to offer free rides within their approved Foster City area.
Other companies in the robotaxi space are also making moves. GM’s Cruise has announced testing plans in Dallas and Phoenix, while Alphabet’s Waymo has begun offering driverless rides to employees in Austin and has announced plans for testing in Atlanta.
It seems that the race for driverless vehicles is far from over, with companies like Zoox constantly expanding their capabilities and pushing towards launching commercially. As they continue to navigate through the challenges and regulatory hurdles, the future of autonomous transportation remains full of potential and excitement.
