Amazon's Zoox expands robotaxi testing to Phoenix and Dallas, reaching 10 U.S. cities

Zoox Brings Robotaxi Testing to Two New Markets

Amazon's autonomous mobility company Zoox announced it will begin robotaxi testing in Dallas and Phoenix, expanding its operations to 10 U.S. cities as it scales up to compete with Waymo and Tesla 1

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. The expansion adds these two Sun Belt cities to existing testing sites that include Las Vegas, the San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, Austin, Miami, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Washington, D.C. 2

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Amazon's self-driving car company will initially deploy a small number of retrofitted Toyota Highlander SUVs with human safety drivers behind the wheel to manually map the new areas before introducing its purpose-built, toaster-shaped robotaxis that operate without pedals or a steering wheel 3

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. Testing in Phoenix begins first, though the company has not shared an exact launch date 1

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Strategic Testing Environments for AI and Hardware Validation

The choice of testing in Dallas and Phoenix offers Zoox distinct advantages over its existing dense urban testing environments. Phoenix will allow the company to test sensor and battery performance against extreme heat and dust on high-speed roads, while Dallas provides a valuable testing ground to refine its AI against diverse weather conditions and complex road networks 1

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. These sprawling environments differentiate the data collection from testing in other dense metro areas like San Francisco 4

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Both Phoenix and Dallas are rapidly growing metropolitan areas with high demand for ride-hailing and first- and last-mile connections, making them attractive markets for autonomous taxi services 4

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. The expansion is expected to create hundreds of jobs as Zoox opens new depots in both cities 2

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New Command Hub to Support Growing Operations

To support its expanding testing operations, Zoox plans to build a new Fusion Center facility in Scottsdale, Arizona, which will serve as a command hub for fleet operations, remote guidance, and rider support 2

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. This will be the company's third such hub, joining existing Fusion Centers in the San Francisco Bay Area and Las Vegas. These centers provide real-time support to help autonomous fleet vehicles navigate complex scenarios 4

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Zoox has logged more than 1 million autonomous miles by late 2025 and served more than 300,000 riders since launching limited services in Las Vegas and a pilot rider program in San Francisco 2

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Intensifying Competition in Autonomous Taxi Market

The expansion comes as competition heats up in the U.S. autonomous taxi market. While Alphabet's Waymo has been leading commercial deployments and Tesla is betting on its production capacity and AI technology to gain an edge, Zoox has been gradually scaling operations with its unique approach of using purpose-built vehicles 2

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. What sets the Amazon-backed robotaxi developer apart from nearly all competitors is its vehicle design, which operates without traditional controls 4

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Austin has become a common testing ground for autonomous car brands, with Waymo offering comprehensive service there and Tesla continuing to test its own vehicles 1

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. U.S. regulators are set to hold a national autonomous vehicle safety forum, which will be attended by the CEOs of Waymo, Zoox, and self-driving company Aurora 2

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. The increased presence of autonomous vehicles on roads has raised some concerns, as demonstrated when a Waymo autonomous vehicle blocked an ambulance responding to a mass shooting on March 1, delaying emergency services 1

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