Amazon's Zoox receives NHTSA exemption, to begin charging for robotaxi rides in Las Vegas

Published Jul 30, 02:36 PM UTC

Amazon-owned autonomous vehicle company Zoox received a temporary exemption from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), allowing it to deploy up to 2,500 purpose-built robotaxis annually for two years and begin charging for rides. The exemption, subject to enhanced oversight, marks the first commercial exemption for a purpose-built robotaxi. Zoox will start paid rides in Las Vegas next month, expanding to other markets as it meets state requirements. The company previously offered free rides in San Francisco and Las Vegas. Zoox faces unique regulatory challenges due to its toaster-shaped shuttles lacking traditional driver controls, unlike rivals such as Waymo. NHTSA has proposed updating standards to remove requirements for steering wheels and brake pedals. The regulator also raised concerns about autonomous vehicles interfering with first responders, prompting Zoox to recall 105 robotaxis to fix a software issue related to smoke detection after an incident in Las Vegas.