Zoox starts mapping Dallas and Phoenix for its robotaxis

Zoox is now mapping the streets of Dallas, Texas, and Phoenix, Arizona, as a precursor to testing its autonomous vehicles in the two Sun Belt cities.

The company said on Monday that it had sent a small number of its Toyota Highlander SUVs to each city, where workers will drive them to help Zoox’s autonomous software get the lay of the land. Zoox will afterwards start testing its self-driving system using the SUVs in both cities, before switching to its purpose-built robotaxis.

Zoox said the two new markets will help it collect data in areas that are different from the dense metros its vehicles currently operate in.

Once the company goes live in Dallas and Phoenix, Zoox will operate in 10 cities in the United States, alongside Atlanta, Austin, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, the San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. The company is currently offering free rides in Las Vegas and San Francisco through its early-rider program.

Zoox said it has driven more than a million autonomous miles in Las Vegas and San Francisco, and ferried more than 300,000 passengers.

The Amazon-owned company is still waiting for federal approval of its purpose-built AV in order to launch a true commercial robotaxi service, as the vehicle does not have a steering wheel or pedals. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration last August granted Zoox an exemption from the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards so the company could demonstrate its AVs on public roads, but it is still waiting for further exemptions to operate commercially.

Zoox will also need permission from local agencies that oversee ride-hailing operations, like California’s Public Utilities Commission.

This is the first time Zoox will be operating in Arizona, which has long been a hotbed for autonomous vehicle testing thanks to the state’s permissive regulations, flat terrain, and warm weather. Phoenix was where rival Waymo first launched its robotaxi service in 2020.

The company said it is opening depots in Dallas and Phoenix, as well as a new command center in Scottsdale, to support the new markets, which it claims will create hundreds of new jobs. These “fusion centers,” as Zoox calls them, house fleet operations teams that handle tasks like remote guidance and rider support, providing “real-time coordination to help vehicles navigate complex scenarios, complete missions, and support riders when needed.”