Amazon’s Zoox will test its robotaxis in Dallas and Phoenix
Source: Engadget
Announcement
Amazon’s self‑driving subsidiary Zoox announced on Monday that it will begin testing its autonomous vehicles in Dallas and Phoenix. The company will initially deploy retrofitted Toyota Highlander SUVs with human safety drivers to map the new cities before eventually rolling out its purpose‑built robotaxis.
Testing Details
- Cities: Dallas, Texas and Phoenix, Arizona.
- Vehicle platform: Retro‑fitted Toyota Highlander SUVs equipped with safety drivers for the mapping phase.
- Future rollout: Purpose‑built Zoox robotaxis after the mapping phase is complete.
Zoox says these two cities will allow it to test its sensors and battery performance under conditions not yet encountered in its existing markets. Phoenix presents extreme heat, dust, and high‑speed roads, while Dallas offers more sprawling road networks and varied weather.
The company is also opening new depots in both cities and a command hub in Scottsdale, Arizona, which will handle fleet operations, remote guidance, and rider support.
Zoox Footprint
With the addition of Dallas and Phoenix, Zoox’s footprint (including both actual launches and test markets) expands to 10 U.S. cities:
- Las Vegas
- San Francisco
- Seattle
- Austin
- Miami
- Los Angeles
- Atlanta
- Washington, D.C.
- Dallas (new)
- Phoenix (new)
Amazon acquired Zoox for $1.3 billion in 2020. The company reports that its fleet has driven over one million autonomous miles and served more than 300,000 riders to date.
Industry Context
Zoox’s expansion comes as competition in the robotaxi market intensifies:
- Waymo (Alphabet) continues rapid expansion across the United States.
- Tesla launched its Robotaxi service last year, currently limited to parts of Austin, Texas.
Regulatory Landscape
U.S. regulators are scheduled to hold a self‑driving safety forum on Tuesday, with CEOs from Waymo, Zoox, and Aurora expected to attend. The regulatory framework has struggled to keep pace with the rapid rollout of autonomous vehicles, which have faced several high‑profile incidents in the past year, including:
- A collision involving a child near a school.
- Vehicles blocking emergency services responding to a mass shooting.
- Reports that Teslas may be crashing at higher rates than human drivers.
This article originally appeared on Engadget: Amazon’s Zoox will test its robotaxis in Dallas and Phoenix.