AUSTIN, Texas — Another self-driving vehicle company appears to be expanding its footprint in Austin.
Documents filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) show that Zoox, the autonomous car company owned by Amazon, is buying warehouse space near Austin’s airport with the intention of converting the space into a fleet operations depot.
The depot would be located on Airport Commerce Drive, just northwest of the airport off of U.S. 183 and SH 71. The $1.2 million renovation of the existing warehouse will also include office space and a mechanics shop.
In summer 2024, Zoox launched its fleet in Austin, making the capital city its fourth public testing site in the U.S.
Austin has been a hotbed for autonomous vehicle companies in the last few years, with companies Cruise and Waymo also operating fleets in the city.
However, the presence of autonomous vehicles has been the cause of concern among leaders and citizens alike in Austin. In early 2023, a vehicle operated by Cruise was caught on video driving in the wrong lane multiple times in Downtown Austin. Additional videos also surfaced showing the vehicles causing serious traffic backups in Downtown Austin.
Cruise ultimately recalled all of its vehicles after one of them dragged a pedestrian to the side of a San Francisco street in October 2023.
Another company operating in Austin, Waymo, has also faced criticisms for its cars causing traffic delays. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened a preliminary investigation into Waymo in May 2024 over reports that the company’s cars caused traffic problems including crashes in a number of cities, although none happened in Austin.
Construction on the Zoox depot is expected to begin in April.