Zoox said it has expanded its autonomous vehicle testing to Washington, D.C., marking its eighth U.S. city and its first location in the Mid-Atlantic region as the company seeks to advance its robotaxi technology on the East Coast.
The company selected the nation’s capital for its complex street design and diverse weather conditions. Washington’s traffic circles, diagonal avenues, and mix of pedestrians and cyclists, coupled with humid summers, snowfall, and variable rainfall, provide what Zoox described as an “ideal environment” for assessing autonomous driving systems.
The initial phase will involve a small fleet of retrofitted SUVs with safety drivers conducting manual mapping in a designated geofence before autonomous testing begins later this year.
Zoox said the expansion builds on the recent launch of its robotaxi service in Las Vegas, where it became the first company to operate a fully driverless ride-hailing service using a purpose-built autonomous vehicle. The company said it expects its ride-hailing technology to complement existing public transit in the District and offer new mobility options in one of the country’s largest ride-hailing markets.
Source: EVMagz