Amazon Expands Robotaxi Testing to 10 U.S. Cities, Intensifying Competition with Tesla and Google

Amazon’s autonomous vehicle unit, Zoox, has expanded its real-world robotaxi testing to 10 new cities across the United States, including Austin, Seattle, Phoenix, and San Diego. The expansion brings the total number of operational test cities to 15, positioning Zoox as a major player in the emerging autonomous mobility space. These tests involve fully driverless vehicles operating in mixed-traffic urban environments, with safety drivers onboard for regulatory compliance. The development comes amid heightened competition in the self-driving transport sector. Alphabet’s Waymo has maintained a lead with over 100,000 miles of autonomous driving logged in Phoenix and Los Angeles, while Tesla has rolled out its Full Self-Driving beta to over 2 million vehicles, though with limited true autonomy. Amazon’s latest move signals a strategic push to accelerate deployment and gather critical data ahead of a potential commercial launch. Key metrics from the expansion reveal Amazon’s commitment: the 15 test cities now cover more than 20,000 miles of urban roadways, and Zoox has deployed over 250 autonomous vehicles for testing. These figures suggest a rapid scaling of infrastructure and software refinement. Analysts note that such testing volume is essential for improving AI models in complex urban scenarios, a prerequisite for commercial viability. The shift has implications for investor sentiment toward technology and automotive stocks. Shares of TSLA, GOOGL, and AMZN have seen modest upward momentum in the past month, reflecting market anticipation of monetization in autonomous mobility. Wall Street is closely watching whether Amazon can close the operational gap with Waymo, whose fleet has already offered over 1 million rides to the public. The outcome could shape the future valuation of key players in the AI-driven transportation ecosystem.