Amazon's Zoox Recalls Robotaxis After Vehicle Drove Into Heavy Smoke at Emergency Scene

Amazon-owned autonomous vehicle company Zoox voluntarily recalled 105 robotaxis after an unoccupied vehicle drove into heavy smoke at an active emergency fire scene in Las Vegas on June 20. The vehicle failed to detect the smoke, entered the scene, braked hard, and stopped. A teleguidance employee instructed it to reverse, and first responders later placed cones. Zoox notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on July 8. The recall follows an NHTSA directive calling on autonomous vehicle developers to address issues with first responders, citing a pattern of AVs interfering with emergency scenes. Zoox has issued several software recalls in the past year. The company operates driverless buggies in Las Vegas, San Francisco, Miami, and Austin, and is testing in six other U.S. cities.