Amazon's autonomous vehicle division, Zoox, revealed on Monday that it will initiate trials of its driverless cars in Dallas and Phoenix. The initiative will start with modified Toyota Highlander SUVs, equipped with human operators to conduct initial mapping and data collection before transitioning to its custom-designed robotaxis.
Zoox highlights that these two locations present distinct environmental challenges that could refine its sensor systems and battery efficiency. Phoenix’s extreme temperatures, high dust levels, and fast-moving highways contrast sharply with the more spread-out road networks and variable weather conditions found in Dallas. In addition to setting up new facilities in both cities, Zoox is establishing a central operations center in Scottsdale, Arizona, which will manage fleet coordination, remote monitoring, and customer support.
This expansion increases Zoox’s operational presence—encompassing both active deployments and testing zones—to 10 U.S. cities. These include Las Vegas, San Francisco, Seattle, Austin, Miami, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Washington, D.C. Amazon acquired Zoox for $1.3 billion in 2020 and has since expanded its operations, with the company reporting over one million autonomous miles driven and more than 300,000 rides provided to date.
Zoox’s latest move occurs amid heightened competition in the autonomous ride-sharing sector. Alphabet’s Waymo continues to expand rapidly across the U.S., while Tesla’s robotaxi service launched last year but remains restricted to certain areas in Austin, Texas. On Tuesday, U.S. regulators are set to host a autonomous vehicle safety symposium, with executives from Waymo, Zoox, and Aurora expected to attend.
The regulatory landscape has struggled to keep pace with the rapid development and deployment of self-driving technology. Over the past year alone, autonomous vehicles have been involved in incidents such as hitting a child near a school, blocking emergency responders during a mass shooting, and, in some cases, experiencing higher accident rates compared to human-driven vehicles.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/amazons-zoox-will-test-its-robotaxis-in-dallas-and-phoenix-143828899.html?src=rss