▼ Summary
– Zoox, Amazon’s autonomous vehicle subsidiary, is starting to test a fleet of modified vehicles in Los Angeles to prepare for public robotaxi rides in Las Vegas and San Francisco later this year.
– The current testing involves manually driven Toyota Highlanders equipped with Zoox’s self-driving technology to collect mapping data for future autonomous testing.
– Zoox is testing its autonomous vehicles in multiple cities, including Foster City, San Francisco, and Las Vegas, with custom-built robotaxis operating without human drivers.
– The company is also conducting tests in Austin, Miami, and Seattle using Highlanders with human safety operators.
– Zoox’s expansion into Los Angeles follows a voluntary software recall affecting 258 vehicles due to an issue with unexpected hard braking.
Zoox, the autonomous vehicle subsidiary of Amazon, is set to commence testing of a small fleet of modified test vehicles on the streets of Los Angeles starting Tuesday. This initiative represents a cautious but significant step as Zoox progresses towards offering public robotaxi rides in Las Vegas and San Francisco later this year.
This data-gathering mission marks Zoox’s debut in its sixth city, laying the foundation for a potential future robotaxi service. Unlike its competitor Waymo, which has already introduced paid robotaxi services in LA, Zoox remains in the preliminary stages. The current deployment involves manually driven Toyota Highlanders outfitted with Zoox’s self-driving technology, aimed at collecting mapping data in preparation for more extensive autonomous testing in Los Angeles this summer.
Zoox is actively testing its autonomous vehicles in multiple cities, utilizing both the Highlander test fleet and its uniquely designed robotaxis, which lack traditional steering wheels and pedals. The company has notably extended the testing zones for its custom-built robotaxis on public roads in Foster City, San Francisco, and Las Vegas, operating without human drivers. Recently, Zoox has allowed employees, media representatives, and other vetted individuals to experience the service firsthand.
In addition to these efforts, Zoox is conducting tests in Austin, Miami, and Seattle, using Highlanders with human safety operators at the helm.
The expansion into California follows closely on the heels of a voluntary software recall by Zoox, affecting 258 vehicles due to an issue with the autonomous driving system that caused unexpected hard braking.
Zoox’s entry into the Los Angeles market comes after Waymo launched its fully autonomous commercial robotaxi service in the city. Currently, Waymo is the sole autonomous vehicle (AV) company in the U.S. offering paid services in multiple locations, including the Bay Area, Phoenix, and Austin. Waymo, a subsidiary of Alphabet, plans to roll out commercial services in Atlanta, Miami, and Washington, D.C. within the next two years.
This article has been updated with additional details from Zoox.
(Source: TechCrunch)
