Autonomous vehicle developer Zoox announced Wednesday that it is expanding its robotaxi testing program to two new US cities: Miami, Florida, and Austin, Texas.
Zoox gears up for wider US presence
Zook formally made the announcement in a blog post on June 5, 2024. According to the Amazon-owned robotaxi unit, it will start testing its autonomous vehicle technology in Miami and Austin.
The move is part of Zook’s efforts to launch commercial robotaxi operations in the US cities where it already has a presence. It also marks the company’s first trial locations outside the western US.
According to the announcement, Zoox’s modified Toyota Highlanders test fleet will start operating in small areas near Miami and Austin’s business and entertainment districts. As part of the pilot program, these robotaxis will have human safety drivers.
It is also worth noting that the company is only currently planning to open the program as an internal public testing. It has yet to announce plans for the program’s launch to the public.
“We’re laying the foundations for our autonomous ride-hailing service in new cities across the US. Austin and Miami offer key learning opportunities that will support the continued growth and refinement of our testing and service.”
Ron Thaniel, Zoox Policy & Regulatory Affairs Senior Director
Expansion progress
Zoox is one of the few robotaxi developers able to deliver bespoke driverless vehicle tech to the masses.
According to Zoox, Austin and Miami will be its fourth and fifth public testing areas.
The company initiated the pilot program in its home city, San Francisco, in 2018. It later expanded to Las Vegas in 2019 and to Seattle in 2021.
Zoox launched robotaxi rides in Foster City, California, using specially designed cars without a steering wheel or pedals. Since then, they’ve expanded testing to Las Vegas for real-world experience before a full commercial launch. It also started testing in Seattle to see how their robotaxis handle challenging weather conditions like rain.
In March, Zoox released an update to its robotaxi fleet in its current locations. The company expanded the operation’s operational hours and routes.
The newly announced expansion into two new cities will enable the company to collect valuable data and feedback to refine its autonomous vehicle technology further.
Why Austin and Miami?
Zoox selected Austin and Miami for the expansion of its robotaxi operation due to various major factors.
For instance, it chose Austin because of its horizontal traffic lights, traffic lights hanging on wires, and a reputation for thunderstorms.
Meanwhile, it pursued Miami primarily due to its diagonal traffic lights across intersections. Zoox expects these factors to yield valuable data necessary to refine its autonomous vehicle technology to deliver safe and efficient driverless ride-hailing services.
However, Austin and Miami residents must not expect to hail a Zoox robotaxi just yet. While the company will soon be testing its autonomous vehicles there, commercial rides will first come to San Francisco and Las Vegas.
