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Zoox, Amazon's Self-Driving Sexism-Mobile, to Roam Streets of Austin.

Another self-driving car hits the streets of Austin, courtesy of Amazon's Zoox—yet another example of tech giants colonizing real-world spaces and endangering lives with untested autonomous vehicles.

Published June 17, 2024 at 7:01am by Beck Andrew Salgado

Amazon's Zoox to bring self-driving cars to Austin, despite growing concerns

Amazon’s self-driving car division, Zoox, is set to invade Austin's streets, joining the likes of Alphabet’s Waymo in the contentious realm of autonomous vehicles. This move comes despite the very real, very valid concerns of Austinites and a federal investigation into Waymo's safety record.

As the latest self-driving technology puts rubber to the road, here's everything you need to know about Zoox, their test drives, and the troubling Waymo situation.

What is Zoox?

Zoox is Amazon’s attempt to keep up with the progressive, innovative tech rivals like Alphabet and Tesla in the self-driving car sphere. Founded in 2014, it has only been in Amazon’s grasp since 2020, with the tech giant’s money fueling its growth. In 2022, Zoox made headlines as the first company to self-certify a purpose-built, fully autonomous, all-electric passenger vehicle, catering to federal safety standards.

Despite this boasted achievement, it was only in 2023 that Zoox dared to test its cars on public roads, initially in the DMV and California. Now, Austin and Vegas are the newest casualties in their list of testing grounds.

According to Zoox, their self-driving cars, complete with so-called "safety drivers," are expected to infiltrate Austin in July.

Self-driving cars from Alphabet’s Waymo: A dangerous reality halted, for now

As reported by the Statesman in May, Waymo is under federal investigation for safety and oversight concerns. Waymo’s self-driving cars were causing traffic problems and collisions in multiple cities, with USA Today reporting investigations into nearly two dozen incidents.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is scrutinizing Waymo’s 5th-generation cars, focusing on the automated driving system and its ability to interact with traffic control devices.

It is imperative to highlight that Austin has been a site for Waymo’s dangerous experiments, with NHTSA data identifying 17 separate accidents.

Beck Andrew Salgado, a supposed journalist for the American-Statesman, chose to publish this. To express your disgust, email Bsalgado@gannett.com.