EVwire brief: Amazon's Zoox will spend this winter testing in Denver, using the city's snow and heavy rain to train its autonomous driving system.
The Denver vehicles will be driven by hand by safety operators and won't pick up riders, and Zoox says it isn't planning to offer rides in Denver at this point.
The company explained the move in a statement to CBS Colorado:
Zoox is operating a small test fleet in Denver for a few months this winter to help train our driving technology on winter conditions, including heavy rain and snow. Experiencing different weather conditions helps us improve how our technology handles various environments.
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The vehicles testing in Denver are not the same as the ones Zoox runs in other cities. Zoox did not specify which vehicles it will use in Denver, though the company typically uses Toyota Highlander Hybrids as their test cars.
Denver has played winter proving ground for a robotaxi company before. Waymo used the city's snowy months to train its own vehicles before bringing its service there, and Zoox is now taking the same approach.
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Context:
Zoox's robotaxis already carry riders in Las Vegas and San Francisco, and the company is preparing to add Austin and Miami. Its purpose-built robotaxi lacks a steering wheel and pedals, opens with bus-style sliding doors, and seats four passengers facing each other in a carriage-style layout.
In July, NHTSA granted Zoox a temporary exemption that cleared the way for paid rides, capped at 2,500 commercial vehicles a year for two years. The company has also released an updated version of its driverless robotaxi which features a different colored interior and adjusted fittings, among other changes.
Source: CBS Colorado
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