Investing.com -- Amazon's self-driving unit Zoox announced Tuesday it will launch its robotaxi service in Austin and Miami later this year, marking the latest expansion for the company.

Zoox will deploy its toaster-shaped robotaxis, which have no steering wheel or pedals, for testing in a small area of both cities. Trips will initially be limited to Zoox employees and their family and friends before launching its Explorer program, where the public can join a waitlist to ride in the vehicles.

The company began offering free driverless rides last year around the Las Vegas Strip and certain San Francisco neighborhoods. As of late March, Zoox said it had served 350,000 riders and about 500,000 people have joined its waitlist.

As part of Tuesday's announcement, Zoox is also expanding its service areas in San Francisco and Las Vegas.

The company is currently testing its autonomous technology in 10 U.S. cities. Zoox's robotaxis will soon roam the streets of Atlanta and Los Angeles, CEO Aicha Evans said in an interview. Its modified Toyota Highlanders have been gathering data there since last year.

Zoox will have 100 robotaxis on public roads once its service scales in Las Vegas and San Francisco, and it begins testing in Austin and Miami.

The company is awaiting approval from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to operate as many as 2,500 of its self-driving cars on public roads for commercial purposes. The agency will publish its decision on Zoox's proposal after a 30-day comment period, which began on March 11.

Zoox has yet to launch a paid service, though CEO Aicha Evans said the company is ready to start charging fares once it receives regulatory approval. Amazon acquired Zoox in 2020.