Bespoke robotaxi developer Zoox has just confirmed Washington, DC, as the eighth US city where it is deploying its fleet of test vehicles, with the prospect of integrating full-fledged paid rides to customers in the future.
Zoox could easily be classified as the most unique and interesting robotaxi startup in the US right now. While a competitor like Waymo, for example, may be further along in its network of paid autonomous rides, Zoox is not too far behind. Unlike similar companies, it is bringing its own purpose-built BEVs along with it.
Earlier this month, we reported that Zoox has officially begun offering free robotaxi rides to the general public around the Las Vegas Strip – a key milestone ahead of commercial operations that will include paid rideshare services. At the time, Zoox also announced a waitlist for incoming public rides in San Francisco.
While the robotaxi startup continues to expand public rides with its purpose-built vehicles, Zoox is also hard at work testing several new cities using a fleet of existing vehicles equipped with sensors and cameras. These vehicles lay the groundwork for research and data gathering for future robotaxi operations and, as of May 2025, were present in seven US cities – the most recent being Atlanta, GA.
This morning, however, Zoox has confirmed an eighth city, deploying robotaxi text vehicles in Washington, DC.
Zoox’s presence in DC marks its eighth US city for robotaxi testing and its first in the Mid-Atlantic region. With the addition of our nation’s capital, the startup is now operating vehicles in some form around Atlanta, Austin, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Seattle. Per the release:
As our first Mid-Atlantic testing location, DC presents a complex and unique street layout, along with seasonal weather challenges. The city’s street network includes many traffic circles, diagonal avenues, and high pedestrian and bicycle traffic. Additionally, DC’s mix of humid summers, occasional snowfall, and unpredictable rainfall creates diverse weather conditions for testing driving performance.
To begin, Zoox will launch its DC operations with a small rollout of retrofitted SUVs featuring safety drivers inside – similar to all its prior test operations. Those initial vehicles will be tasked with manually mapping within the geofence in the heart of Washington, DC, before autonomous robotaxi testing can begin. That is expected to happen later this year.
As a heavily populated region in the US, Zoox sees the capital as an ideal location to provide another form of sustainable transportation in addition to established public transit systems and existing rideshare networks:
Washington, DC ranks among the largest ride-hailing markets in the U. and serves as a national hub for government, research, and mobility technology. With its growing population and high demand for flexible transport options, the District is an ideal next location and optimal place to begin testing and mapping our technology on the East Coast.
If you’re living in DC, keep an eye out for Zoox’s test drivers ahead of full-fledged robotaxi testing. Send pics if you spot any! In the meantime, you can see Zoox’s fleet of test vehicles in action below:
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