Zoox, an Amazon-backed autonomous driving unit, announced its expanded drive testing in Austin and Miami starting this summer.
The two new cities will serve as the fourth and fifth test sites for its self-driving units, alongside Las Vegas, San Francisco, and Seattle.
Zoox Bring Self-Driving Units to Austin, Miami
In a blog post, Zoox shared that it is focused on fine-tuning its operations in dense urban areas. The company has specified pre-planned routes for the testing to see how each unit will respond to challenging driving features and scenarios.
Moreover, the test will be done randomly on selected point-to-point routes. Austin is known for horizontal traffic lights, railway crossings, and thunderstorms. Meanwhile, Miami has diagonally suspended traffic lights at intersections.
Zoox will deploy its retrofitted Toyota Highlander test fleet once the brief mapping mission has been completed. The test driving sessions will be accompanied by safety drivers who will report valuable insights and feedback during the deployment.
Zoox Targets Commercial Operation in Las Vegas, San Francisco
In 2018, Zoox launched its first trial in San Francisco followed by a Las Vegas expansion in 2019 and Seattle in 2021. Despite the increasing testing sites, the company announced that Las Vegas and San Francisco remained the target cities for the first commercial trips.
Zoox has not disclosed how many self-driving units will be deployed during its testing. Regardless, both Austin and Miami are still far from offering robotaxi and public rides.
The Amazon-backed robotaxi was previously under investigation after its vehicle caused collisions due to unexpected braking. The incident has reportedly caused minor injuries to civilians.
The company stated that it is working actively with regulators and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to ensure safety on the roads with its units.
