Amazon’s autonomous vehicle unit Zoox is expanding its robotaxi testing program to two major US cities as the field of driverless ride-hailing services continues to grow.The company announced it will begin testing its self-driving vehicles in Phoenix and Dallas, marking the ninth and 10th US locations where Zoox is developing its robotaxi technology. Zoox says the new deployments are designed to help it gather real-world data and refine its autonomous systems before eventually launching commercial ride services. In Phoenix, Zoox plans to operate vehicles in very specific areas of the city, including parts of downtown. Zoox says the region’s desert environment with its high heat and dust will give its engineers a challenging testing ground for vehicle sensors, battery systems, and driving software, as will its high-speed roads. Dallas presents a different set of conditions, says Zoox, with denser urban traffic patterns and a more complex network of road. Zoox’s goal with its expansion into Texas is to expose its vehicles to a wider variety of driving scenarios. gettyimages-2254528886Zoox was founded in Silicon Valley in 2014 and acquired by Amazon in 2020. The company is developing both the autonomous driving software and a purpose-built robotaxi vehicle designed specifically for shared transportation. The vehicles themselves rely on a combination of sensors including LiDAR, cameras, and radar; the effect creates a 360-degree view of the vehicle’s surroundings to better navigate city streets without a human driver. This round of expansion comes as competition is amping up among companies seeking to rule the emerging robotaxi market. Waymo, owned by Alphabet, is currently the most established operator in the sector, having already launched commercial driverless ride services in Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Austin. Waymo is also expanding its capabilities by allowing robotaxis to travel on highways in several markets, potentially cutting travel times and extending the reach of its service.