Zoox robotaxi tests begin in Houston's Rice Village, Texas Medical Center, and six other neighborhoods this month
Zoox, the Amazon-owned autonomous vehicle company, will begin testing in Houston later this month, starting with retrofitted SUVs carrying safety drivers while it maps streets and collects data, the company announced Tuesday.
The first phase will include Rice Village, the Texas Medical Center, the Galleria area, Memorial Park, Downtown, Midtown and Hyde Park. The SUVs will gather information on those roads before Zoox introduces its purpose-built robotaxis in the city.
Zoox said Houston will become its 12th U.S. market, placing the city alongside Austin, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, Phoenix and Seattle.
In its announcement, Zoox described Houston as its most sprawling market. The company said the city's complex service-road networks, unusual merging situations, extreme heat, heavy rain and flooding will test its technology.
The company plans to open a local depot in Houston for charging and vehicle maintenance. It has not said when its robotaxis will begin accepting riders.
The move puts Zoox in a Houston autonomous vehicle market that already includes Waymo, Uber, Nuro and Tesla. Zoox's arrival follows earlier steps by those companies to launch or expand autonomous service in the region, including service connected to NRG Stadium.
Zoox cited Houston's wide road network, varied traffic conditions and large travel demand centers such as the Texas Medical Center and the Galleria district as reasons for testing there.
Zoox's initial testing will use human safety drivers behind the wheel for mapping and data collection. The company has not given a timeline for when fully driverless vehicles will appear on Houston streets or when residents will be able to request a ride.
