Autonomous mobility company Zoox is expanding its US testing footprint, adding Phoenix and Dallas as new markets for its robotaxi development program. The Zoox expansion marks another step as the Amazon-owned startup continues scaling operations across major metro areas.
In a growing landscape of fully autonomous robotaxi networks in the US, Zoox remains one of the bigger names in its segment, competing against other heavy-hitters like Tesla, Waymo, and, more recently, Nuro.
What sets the Amazon-backed robotaxi developer apart from nearly all of its competitors, however, is purpose-built vehicle, which operates without pedals or a steering wheel. Those unique EVs have been driving on public roads in the Bay Area for years, and are now transporting the public on the Las Vegas Strip.
However, most of Zoox’s expansion into other US cities uses more traditional vehicles equipped with its full suite of proprietary sensors. In the past, Zoox has announced expansions that include testing in cities such as Atlanta, Austin, Los Angeles, Miami, Seattle, and, most recently, Washington, DC.
This morning, Zoox announced the addition of two more US cities – Phoenix, Arizona, and Dallas, Texas.
Zoox expands testing to Phoenix and Dallas plus new depot
According to a release from Zoox, its robotaxi network is expanding testing in Texas with the addition of Dallas, as well as new operations in Arizona, starting in Phoenix. To support the expansion, Zoox said it is opening new robotaxi depots in both Phoenix and Dallas, as well as a new Fusion Center facility in Scottsdale, AZ.
Zoox Fusion Centers are the central hub for fleet operations, where teleguidance, mission control, and rider support provide real-time support to help autonomous fleet vehicles navigate complex scenarios and support customers. The new Scottsdale location will join existing Fusion Centers in the San Francisco Bay Area and Las Vegas.
To begin, residents in Dallas and Phoenix neighborhoods will begin seeing a small number of retrofitted Zoox test vehicles (seen above) driving around. As it is standard for all robotaxi developers, the initial focus will be on manually mapping the new cities before any autonomous testing takes place.
Even then, there will be a Zoox safety driver behind the wheel to supervise and step in if needed. After that, Zoox said it will begin deploying its purpose-built reobotaxis in both Dallas and Phoenix. Per the company:
Phoenix and Dallas are both rapidly growing metropolitan areas with high demand for ride-hailing and first- and last-mile connections. Expanding into these cities allows us to test in sprawling environments, differentiating this data from our testing in other dense metro areas like San Francisco.
Crucially, these markets allow us to rigorously validate our technology’s resilience in diverse and challenging weather conditions. In Phoenix, we have the opportunity to test our sensor and battery performance against extreme heat and dust on high-speed roads. Dallas provides a valuable testing ground to refine our AI against diverse weather and complex road networks.
On a side note, Zoox also announced that by late 2025, it had driven over 1 million autonomous miles, transporting more than 300,000 riders in cities like San Francisco (Explorers program) and Las Vegas. Today’s expansion announcement continues that momentum in 2026 and beyond.
If you see any Zoox vehicles out and about in those new cities, let me know!
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