Zoox is expanding its autonomous vehicle testing to Houston, Texas, and San Diego, California, bringing its US presence to 12 locations. The Amazon-owned company says its retrofitted test fleet will arrive in both cities later this month to map streets ahead of autonomous rides, according to its expansion announcement. Houston and San Diego join the San Francisco Bay Area, Las Vegas, Seattle, Austin, Miami, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Dallas, and Phoenix on the company’s US map.
Highlights
- 12 US locations with the addition of Houston and San Diego
- Test fleet arrives later this month in both cities, starting with manual mapping
- Houston is described by Zoox as its most sprawling market to date
- San Diego brings freeway-heavy corridors and marine fog for sensor validation
How Zoox Enters a New Market
Operations in both cities begin with a retrofitted Zoox test fleet driving downtown, central tourist areas, and select residential neighborhoods. The company says testing starts with manual mapping before progressing to autonomous testing, following the same staged rollout it has applied in previous markets.
Once mapping and initial testing are complete, Zoox says its purpose-built, driverless robotaxis will begin operations, which the company describes as laying the groundwork for a rider-first ride-hailing service. Zoox reports that it engages local and state officials and regulators before its test fleet enters any new city, an approach it characterizes as “no surprises.”
Why Houston?
Zoox calls Houston its most sprawling market to date. The company says driving there means navigating complex service-road networks, unique merging scenarios, and challenging environmental conditions, including severe heat, heavy rain, and urban flooding — a combination Zoox describes as a rigorous test of its technology across geography and terrain.
Houston’s major cultural, commercial, and transit hubs also carry high ride-hailing demand and first- and last-mile needs, according to the company. Zoox is not the only operator eyeing the city; Uber, Nuro, and Lucid are separately targeting Houston for robotaxi service in 2027.
What San Diego Adds to the Sensor Suite
San Diego offers a concentrated coastal corridor with heavy highway reliance, which Zoox says provides key experience ahead of future freeway operations. The city’s thick marine fog layer also offers what the company describes as essential real-world perception validation for its sensor suite.
Beyond driving conditions, Zoox points to San Diego’s large tourist economy, strong military presence, and major university campuses as factors that make the market suitable for future ride-hailing. The company already maintains a local office in San Diego and plans to build depots in both new cities, with local hiring planned in each.
