Amazon.com’s self-driving vehicle unit Zoox announced its plans to test its autonomous cars in Austin, Texas, and Miami. This expansion marks Zoox’s first trial locations outside of the western United States.
Zoox will deploy its test fleet of modified Toyota Highlanders with human safety drivers in small areas near the business and entertainment districts of Austin and Miami. In California and Nevada, Zoox has been testing its own self-driving vehicles that do not have steering wheels and pedals, and can accommodate four passengers, with two facing each other.
The move to test in Austin and Miami comes as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating 500 Zoox vehicles equipped with autonomous driving systems following two crashes.
Austin and Miami will be the fourth and fifth public testing sites for Zoox, which already operates in San Francisco, Las Vegas, and Seattle. While Zoox will not offer public rides in Austin and Miami initially, it is considering several cities for commercial services after launching in Las Vegas and San Francisco.
In addition to Zoox, other companies like General Motors’ Cruise and Alphabet’s Waymo are also facing NHTSA investigations related to the performance of self-driving cars.
Cruise recently resumed operations in Dallas, Texas, with a small fleet of human drivers after pausing operations due to an incident in San Francisco involving one of its autonomous vehicles in October last year.
FAQ
Q: What cities will Zoox be testing its autonomous vehicles in?
A: Zoox plans to test its self-driving cars in Austin, Texas, and Miami, Florida.
Conclusion
Zoox’s expansion to Austin and Miami for testing its autonomous vehicles shows the company’s commitment to advancing self-driving technology. With ongoing investigations by the NHTSA, the industry as a whole continues to work towards improving the safety and performance of autonomous vehicles.
