Amazon-owned Zoox will begin mapping the streets of Washington D.C. because it ramps as much as start testing its self-driving autos within the nation’s capital this 12 months.

Zoox stated in a weblog publish on Tuesday that it could start by manually driving Toyota Highlanders geared up with its sensors and self-driving software program to map town. The corporate plans to start out testing its autonomous autos (with human security operators behind the wheel) later this 12 months.

“With its rising inhabitants and excessive demand for versatile transport choices, the District is a perfect subsequent location and optimum place to start testing and mapping our expertise on the East Coast,” the corporate wrote in its weblog publish.

Zoox wouldn’t share particulars on what number of autonomous autos shall be used for testing within the metropolis. A spokesperson instructed TechCrunch the corporate will begin with a small fleet that may develop over time.

The Foster Metropolis, California-based firm has grown nicely past the confines of Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay since its founding in 2014. Right this moment, Zoox runs tons of of check autos on public roads and personal check tracks in Austin, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Miami, San Francisco, and Seattle. Washington DC shall be its eighth check web site.

Zoox can also be working in the direction of launching a industrial robotaxi service with its rising fleet of custom-built robotaxis that lack conventional controls like a steering wheel or pedals. The corporate lately launched a free robotaxi service in Las Vegas, an anchor market the place it has had places of work and carried out testing since 2019. Final November, Zoox began testing its {custom} self-driving autos in San Francisco.

The corporate is in the end aiming to launch a industrial robotaxi service in a number of markets. It nonetheless wants to fulfill sure regulatory necessities, which embody receiving an exemption from the federal authorities to deploy its {custom}, driverless autos commercially.

Zoox has made progress on that entrance: The Nationwide Freeway Visitors Security Administration gave Zoox an exemption in August to reveal its custom-built robotaxis on public roads, although it solely covers analysis and demonstrations on public roads. Zoox has since filed a separate utility that may broaden the scope and pave the way in which for the launch of a industrial robotaxi service.