Amazon-owned autonomous driving company Zoox is officially bringing its self-driving technology to the bustling streets of Los Angeles. Announced on Tuesday, the company confirmed it is expanding its test fleet to the LA metro area, paving the way for locals to soon experience rides in Zoox's futuristic, pod-like robotaxis.

Los Angeles marks the latest addition to Zoox’s growing list of test cities, which already includes the San Francisco Bay Area, Las Vegas, Seattle, Miami, and Austin, Texas. Until now, Zoox has been testing its fleet of retrofitted Toyota Highlander hybrids, equipped with lidar, radar, and cameras, and supervised by safety drivers to map routes and refine its autonomous software.

The initial phase in Los Angeles will see a limited number of these hybrid vehicles manually collecting data to better understand the city’s complex road conditions, events, construction zones, and other urban challenges. Zoox aims to begin fully autonomous driving in LA later this summer, once sufficient data is collected and safety benchmarks are met.

"Our autonomous driving system adapts to the distinct conditions of the city, beginning within a specific geofence," Zoox explained in a blog post. "As we meet our safety requirements, the geofence will expand to cover more areas."

This move comes as Zoox prepares to launch its fully autonomous services to riders in Las Vegas and San Francisco. While its iconic, purpose-built robotaxis currently transport only Zoox employees, the company is inching closer to a public rollout. These unique vehicles — symmetrical, bidirectional, and fully electric — have already been making rounds in cities like Las Vegas, San Francisco, and Foster City, California.

In LA, Zoox will face stiff competition from Waymo, the Alphabet-owned autonomous vehicle pioneer. Waymo began offering fully driverless rides to select Los Angeles riders last year, eventually opening up its service to the general public. The company is also expanding into cities like Atlanta, Miami, and Washington, DC.

The race for autonomous dominance remains tight, with big players like Tesla also preparing to launch its Robotaxi service in Austin this summer. Startups such as Nuro, May Mobility, and Avride are also striving to make their mark, though the industry continues to face high development costs and regulatory hurdles. Major players like General Motors and Apple have recently pulled back from their autonomous vehicle ambitions.

As Zoox navigates LA’s famously congested streets, the company acknowledges the inevitable challenges but sees them as crucial learning opportunities. Drawing from lessons learned in San Francisco’s busy SoMa district, Zoox is poised to tackle LA’s unpredictable urban landscape.

With this expansion, Los Angeles becomes the next proving ground for Zoox’s ambitious vision of a driverless future.