Amazon's Zoox Recalls 105 Robotaxis After Vehicle Drove Into Smoke at Emergency Scene

Amazon-owned Zoox has voluntarily recalled software in 105 of its robotaxis after one of its vehicles failed to detect heavy smoke and drove into an active emergency fire scene in Las Vegas.

Incident Details

On June 20, an unoccupied Zoox robotaxi encountered heavy smoke obscuring an active emergency fire scene that had not been cordoned off with traffic cones, the company reported. The vehicle entered the scene, braked hard while attempting to steer away, and then came to a stop.

A Zoox teleguidance employee instructed the vehicle to reverse, after which first responders placed traffic cones to block off the area, according to the company's report.

Zoox stated that this is "the only event of this kind" that has occurred, and no injuries were identified.

Recall and Regulatory Context

Zoox notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of the recall on July 8, citing the smoke detection issue identified in last month's incident.

The voluntary recall follows a directive from NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison, who last week called on autonomous vehicle developers to ensure their vehicles do not interfere with first responders. In a letter to AV developers, Morrison stated that the agency has "identified a clear pattern of driverless AVs interfering with law enforcement and other first responders," citing incidents where AVs:

• Drove into active emergency scenes
• Blocked the paths of ambulances or firefighters
• Failed to recognize or respond to flashing lights, flares, smoke, fire, and traffic cones

Morrison urged AV developers and operators to "immediately focus their resources on fixing this issue" and to present their solutions to the agency by the end of the month. The letter did not name specific companies.

Zoox's Operations and History

Amazon acquired Zoox for $1.3 billion in 2020. The company operates driverless buggies with no steering wheel or pedals, featuring four carriage-style seats that face inward.

Zoox currently offers free rides in parts of Las Vegas and San Francisco, and allows select users to hail its robotaxis in small zones in Miami and Austin, Texas. Testing is also underway in six other U.S. cities.

The company issued several software recalls last year to address issues related to lane crossings, as well as its ability to predict the movement of other vehicles and pedestrians.

Industry Context

Zoox is racing to catch up to Alphabet's Waymo, the dominant robotaxi service in the U.S., which operates a fleet of approximately 4,000 automated vehicles nationwide.

Last month, Waymo recalled about 3,900 robotaxis after some of its vehicles drove into closed construction zones on freeways, increasing "the risk of a crash."

WATCH: NHTSA's Morrison: AV developers need to address first responder issues