Zoox to test self-driving cars in Austin and Miami 

Zoox, a self-driving unit of Amazon, is expanding its autonomous vehicle testing to more cities, including Austin and Miami.

The news comes amidst increased scrutiny from federal regulators on self-driving car companies like Zoox and Waymo, with concerns over safety issues such as unexpected braking. Zoox has been taking a cautious approach to testing and scaling its operations in response to this heightened scrutiny.

Zoox plans to deploy its retrofitted Toyota Highlander test fleet in small areas near business and entertainment districts in Austin and Miami this summer. The company aims to fine-tune its autonomous system by testing in different urban environments with unique driving challenges.

The company’s testing protocol involves identifying specific challenging routes and scenarios, as well as randomly testing point-to-point routes within a geofenced area.

Zoox is gearing up for its first commercial launch, with plans to test its vehicles without safety drivers in San Francisco and Foster City. The company has not provided a timeline for commercial deployment or details on geofenced areas.

While Zoox is associated with its purpose-built robotaxi, the company will not be testing these vehicles in Austin or Miami yet. Zoox has begun limited testing of fully driverless robotaxis in Las Vegas and San Francisco, with plans to offer rides to passengers this year.

The expansion of Zoox’s testing comes as the robotaxi space sees renewed interest, with GM’s Cruise and Alphabet’s Waymo also making advancements in their autonomous vehicle testing and deployment.