Zoox starts testing in Los Angeles
Zoox begins testing autonomous vehicles in Los Angeles, gathering data for a future robotaxi service. Unlike Waymo, it is still in the early stages.
Zoox, Amazon's autonomous vehicle unit, has begun testing a small fleet of retrofitted vehicles in Los Angeles. This marks an important step toward offering public rides in Las Vegas and San Francisco by the end of the year. The initiative is part of a data collection project and represents Zoox's entry into its sixth city. The ultimate goal is to develop a robotaxi service.
Unlike Waymo, which already provides paid rides in Los Angeles, Zoox is still in the early stages. The fleet of vehicles, consisting of Toyota Highlanders, is equipped with Zoox's autonomous driving technology. These vehicles will be used to gather mapping data in preparation for broader autonomous testing planned for summer in Los Angeles.
Zoox is currently testing its autonomous vehicles in several cities. The tests include both the Highlander fleet and purpose-built robotaxis, which lack a steering wheel and pedals. Recently, Zoox expanded the testing areas for its robotaxis in Foster City, San Francisco, and Las Vegas without a human driver. Additionally, it has allowed employees and selected guests to try the service.
The company is also conducting tests in Austin, Miami, and Seattle using Highlanders with human safety operators behind the wheel. The expansion in California comes after a voluntary software recall on 258 vehicles due to issues with the autonomous driving system causing unexpected hard braking. Zoox's entry into Los Angeles follows Waymo's launch of a fully autonomous commercial robotaxi service in the city. Currently, Waymo is the only AV company in the U.S. offering a paid service in several cities, including the Bay Area, Phoenix, and Austin. The Alphabet-owned company aims to launch a commercial service in Atlanta, Miami, and Washington D.C. over the next two years.
