Zoox is expanding its robotaxi testing fleet to Washington, DC
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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Electricity demand is surging in Texas, and solar, wind, and battery storage are meeting it.
According to new data from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), electricity demand across the Texas grid managed by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) hit record highs in the first nine months of 2025. ERCOT, which supplies power to about 90% of the state, saw demand jump 5% year-over-year to 372 terawatt hours (TWh) – a 23% increase since 2021. No other major US grid has grown faster over the past year.
Solar and wind keep ERCOT’s grid steady
The biggest growth story in Texas power generation is solar. Utility-scale solar plants produced 45 TWh from January through September, up 50% from 2024 and nearly four times what they generated in 2021 (11 TWh). Wind power also continued to climb, producing 87 TWh through September – a 4% increase from last year and 36% more than in 2021.
Together, wind and solar supplied 36% of ERCOT’s total electricity over those nine months. Solar, in particular, has transformed Texas’s daytime energy mix. From June to September, ERCOT solar farms generated an average of 24 gigawatts (GW) between noon and 1 pm – double the midday output from 2023. That growth has pushed down natural gas use at midday from 50% of the mix in 2023 to 37% this year.
Battery storage is filling in the gaps
Batteries charge during the day when wind and solar generation are the highest, and they produce electricity when generation from wind and solar slows down. ERCOT began reporting battery output separately in October 2024 in its hourly grid data, and it’s clear that batteries are now helping to smooth out evening peaks. This past summer, batteries supplied an average of 4 GW of power around 8 pm, right as solar production dropped off.
Natural gas is flatlining
Natural gas is still Texas’s dominant power source, but it isn’t growing like it used to. Between January and September, gas-fired plants generated 158 TWh of electricity, compared to 161 TWh in 2023. Gas comprised 43% of ERCOT’s generation mix during the first nine months of 2025, down from 47% in the first nine months of 2023 and 2024.
More demand growth ahead
The EIA expects Texas electricity demand to keep rising faster than any other grid in the US. In its latest Short-Term Energy Outlook, the EIA projects ERCOT’s demand will climb another 14% in the first nine months of 2026, reaching 425 TWh. That means Texas will need even more solar, wind, and battery storage to keep up with its breakneck growth.
Read more: This $900 million solar farm in Texas is going 100% to data centers
The 30% federal solar tax credit is ending this year. If you’ve ever considered going solar, now’s the time to act. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
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GM is recalling nearly 23,000 Chevy Equinox EV and Cadillac Optiq models due to a defect where the tire tread could fall off.
GM is recalling more Chevy Equinox EV models
In a letter sent to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), GM said it has decided to issue a safety recall for certain Chevy Equinox EV and Cadillac Optiq models from model years 2025 to 2026.
This time, it isn’t necessarily GM’s fault. The vehicles may be equipped with 21″ all-season tires that Continental Tire is recalling.
According to Continental, the tires were produced during the week of October 6, 2024, and may have a defect where the tire tread could partially or fully detach. The records show the defect is due to a nonconforming tread base rubber compound.
Owners of affected vehicles may notice unusual tread wear or bulging, vibration while driving, or tire noises. GM is unaware of any incidents related to the defect, but is issuing the recall out of an abundance of caution.
On September 18, 2025, GM inspected the assembly plant and confirmed there were no suspect tires in stock. The 21″ tires come standard on RS trims and are optional on LT1 and LT2 grades.
Although GM is recalling 22,914 Chevy Equinox EVs and Cadillac Optiqs, it estimates that only about 1% of them have the defect.
The recall includes:
- 2026 Cadillac Optiq: 214
- 2026 Chevy Equinox EV: 1,832
- 2025 Cadillac Optiq: 3,468
- 2025 Chevy Equinox EV: 17,400
GM dealers will check all four tires and replace them if needed, free of charge. Dealers were notified on October 16. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed out on December 1, 2025.
You can contact Chevrolet’s customer service number at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac’s at 1-800-333-4223. GM’s recall number is N252525030. Owners can also call the NHTSA hotline at 1-888-327-4236 or visit the nhtsa.gov website for more information.
The Chevy Equinox EV is now the third best-selling EV in the US, trailing only the Tesla Model Y and Model 3. Meanwhile, Cadillac’s entry-level Optiq SUV is the fifth-most-popular luxury EV. The recall is minor and only affects a small percentage of models, so it’s not expected to have a major impact.
If you want to test one of them for yourself, we can help you get started. Check out our links below to find available Chevy Equinox EV and Cadillac Optiq models near you.
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In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss Tesla’s earnings madness, Rivian layoffs, Ford pausing F-150 Lightning, and more.
The show is live every Friday at 4 p.m. ET on Electrek’s YouTube channel.
As a reminder, we’ll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in.
After the show ends at around 5 p.m. ET, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps:
We now have a Patreon if you want to help us avoid more ads and invest more in our content. We have some awesome gifts for our Patreons and more coming.
Here are a few of the articles that we will discuss during the podcast:
Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 4:00 p.m. ET (or the video after 5 p.m. ET:
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