Zoox, Amazon’s autonomous vehicle company, is expanding its self-driving car operations to two new cities: Austin, Texas, and Miami, Florida.
In 2018, Zoox launched its first trials in San Francisco, followed by Las Vegas in 2019, and later to Seattle in 2021.
The various road infrastructures, traffic patterns, and weather conditions in Austin and Miami influenced the decision to test there. By exposing its self-driving technology to these varied scenarios, Zoox aims to refine and validate its autonomous driving capabilities.
In the initial phase, Zoox will deploy its retrofitted Toyota Highlander test fleet in small areas near the business and entertainment districts of the two cities. The company’s distinctive robotaxis, explicitly designed for autonomous operation, will not be tested on public roads in Austin or Miami.
The announcement comes amid heightened scrutiny from federal regulators over the safety of self-driving vehicles. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating Zoox over potential rear-end crash risks posed by unexpected braking incidents involving the company’s autonomous vehicles.
The first incident occurred in San Francisco, while the other occurred in Spring Valley, Nevada. Earlier this week, the NHTSA requested additional information from Zoox to aid its investigation into these incidents and the potential risks associated with unexpected braking behavior around vulnerable road users.
