Zoox, the autonomous subsidiary of Amazon announcement On Monday, it will begin testing its autonomous vehicles in Dallas and Phoenix. The company will initially deploy modernized Toyota Highlander SUVs with human safety drivers to map new cities before finally rolling out its specially built robotaxis.
Zoox says these two cities will provide the opportunity to test its sensors and battery performance in unique conditions that its cars have not yet encountered in existing markets. Phoenix experiences extreme heat, dust, and high-speed roads, while Dallas has more extensive roads and more varied weather conditions than other cities where Zoox operates. The company is also opening new depots in both cities and a command center in Scottsdale, Arizona, which will manage fleet operations, remote guidance and passenger assistance.
This decision brings the imprint of Zoox (between launches and test markets) in 10 American cities. Its other areas of operation are Las Vegas, San Francisco, Seattle, AustinMiami, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Washington, DC. Amazon acquired the autonomous startup for $1.3 billion in 2020 and has continued to expand its reach, with the company claiming its fleet has traveled more than 1 million miles autonomously and served more than 300,000 passengers to date.
Zoox’s expansion comes as competition in the robot taxi market intensifies. Alphabet-owned Waymo continued its rapid spread in the United States, while Tesla’s Robotaxis launched last year, although these are currently limited to parts of Austin, Texas. American regulators are preparing to organize a autonomous driving safety forum Tuesday, with the CEOs of Waymo, Zoox and Aurora in attendance.
The regulatory framework has lagged behind the rapid deployment of these vehicles as companies test and iterate the technology on public roads. In the last year alone, autonomous vehicles have hit a child near a school, emergency services blocked react to a mass shooting and, at least in Tesla’s case, appears to be crash at higher rates than human drivers.
This article was originally published on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/amazons-zoox-will-test-its-robotaxis-in-dallas-and-phoenix-143828899.html?src=rss