Zoox chooses Washington DC as its next autonomous vehicle testbed

Zoox, the autonomous vehicle division owned by Amazon, is set to begin mapping the roads of Washington D.C. as part of its initiative to test self-driving vehicles in the capital this year. In a recent blog post, the company announced plans to start by manually driving Toyota Highlanders outfitted with its advanced sensors and self-driving technology to gather data about the urban landscape. The company intends to kick off testing with its autonomous vehicles, which will have human safety operators in the driver's seat, later in the year. Zoox highlighted the District's increasing population and growing need for versatile transportation solutions as key reasons for selecting this location as its next test site on the East Coast. While specifics about the number of autonomous vehicles to be deployed in D.C. remain undisclosed, a company spokesperson informed TechCrunch that testing will commence with a limited fleet that is expected to expand over time. Since its inception in 2014, Zoox has evolved significantly, extending its testing operations well beyond Silicon Valley. Currently, Zoox operates hundreds of test vehicles across various cities, including Austin, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Miami, San Francisco, and Seattle, making Washington D.C. its eighth testing ground. The company is also progressing toward the launch of a commercial robotaxi service, featuring a fleet of specially designed vehicles that do not include traditional driving controls such as steering wheels or pedals. Recently, Zoox initiated a complimentary robotaxi service in Las Vegas, a primary market where it has been conducting tests since 2019. Testing of its custom self-driving cars began in San Francisco last November. To achieve its goal of launching a commercial robotaxi service in various markets, Zoox is working to fulfill essential regulatory requirements, including seeking an exemption from the federal government for deploying its driverless vehicles. In an encouraging development, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration granted Zoox an exemption in August, allowing it to demonstrate its custom-built robotaxis on public roads, albeit limited to research and demonstration purposes. The company has since submitted an application aimed at broadening its operational scope and facilitating the commercial launch of its robotaxi service.