Amazon’s robotaxi unit Zoox is expanding its vehicles’ testing in California and Nevada, Reuters reports.
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To keep up with rival Waymo, the expansion includes a wider area the vehicles can travel, faster speeds and night-time driving.
The changes apply to Zoox vehicles that the firm has designed and built.
Driving speeds will be increased to 45 miles per hour (72 kph) from 35 mph. In the Las Vegas area, the area the vehicles are able to travel was expanded up to five miles from one mile, Reuters reports.
In a statement, Zoox said: “Driving in these larger areas exposes our robotaxis to the busiest conditions they’ve ever encountered,” the company said.
In Las Vegas, Seattle, San Francisco the firm operates retrofitted self-driving Toyota Highlanders.
Zoox’s changes comes as Waymo, owned by Google parent firm Alphabet, announced it was offering free driverless robotaxi services in Los Angeles.
Amazon acquired Zoox in 2020 for more than $1 billion.
