Zoox, a company owned by Amazon, will begin mapping the streets of Washington, DC. This work is in preparation for testing its self-driving vehicles in the nation’s capital later this year.
The company announced that it will start by manually driving Toyota Highlanders equipped with its sensors and autonomous software to create detailed maps of the city. Later this year, Zoox plans to advance to testing its self-driving vehicles with human safety operators behind the wheel.
The company described Washington, DC as an ideal next location due to its growing population and high demand for flexible transportation options. This expansion marks the beginning of the company’s testing and mapping efforts on the East Coast.
Zoox did not share specific details on the number of autonomous vehicles that will be used for testing in the city. A spokesperson stated the company will begin with a small fleet that is expected to grow over time.
Founded in 2014 and based in Foster City, California, Zoox has expanded significantly beyond Silicon Valley. The company now operates hundreds of test vehicles on public roads and private test tracks in multiple cities, including Austin, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Miami, San Francisco, and Seattle. Washington, DC will become its eighth testing location.
In addition to this testing, Zoox is working toward launching a commercial robotaxi service. The company is developing a growing fleet of custom-built robotaxis that lack traditional controls like a steering wheel or pedals. It recently launched a free public robotaxi service in Las Vegas, a key market where it has maintained offices and conducted testing since 2019. The company also began testing its custom self-driving vehicles in San Francisco last November.
Zoox’s ultimate goal is to launch a commercial robotaxi service in multiple markets. To achieve this, the company must meet certain regulatory requirements, including receiving an exemption from the federal government to deploy its custom driverless vehicles commercially.
The company has made progress on this regulatory front. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration granted Zoox an exemption in August, allowing it to demonstrate its custom-built robotaxis on public roads for research and demonstration purposes. Zoox has since filed a separate application to broaden the scope of this permission, which would pave the way for the launch of a commercial service.