Amazon’s Zoox announced Houston and San Diego are its newest markets, expanding the company’s presence to 12 U.S. locations.
Houston’s complex roadways, traffic, and weather make for a great testing space. The High-Tech Texan, Micheal Garfield, says these driverless autos will become a success, but it will take time. “We’re used to taxis; we’re use to people driving us. It’s going to take a little consumer effort to let robots and Ai allow us to drive and hope that we are safe.” He said.
Zoox said its initial Houston operations will use a retrofitted test fleet in downtown, central tourist areas and select residential neighborhoods.
Garfield says he tested it in Las Vegas. “It kind of looks like an old pine carriage- there are 2 benches where people can face each other, the doors open like an elevator-it is a head turner. It is a smooth ride, but when it comes to cities like Houston, this is going to be a big test for them.” Garfield said.
The robotaxi company is now operating in 7 states. Compared to Waymo, the vehicles have a more luxurious look. It’s too early to compare report cards. Since 2024, Zoox reports 29 incidents and no fatalities. Waymo has been on the road since 2021 reporting 1429 injuries and 2 fatalities.
Zoox is still in the testing phase in Austin and Dallas. Amazon is also expanding in San Diego with new depots and will hire locally. Officials say the safety and operational standards will govern the pace of the rollout. The announcement did not specify where the Houston depot will be located, how many people the company plans to hire, or when hiring will begin.