Zoox receives federal exemption to launch paid robotaxi service
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has granted Zoox, an Amazon-owned autonomous vehicle company, a temporary exemption from certain federal motor vehicle safety standards. This allows the firm to begin charging customers for rides in its custom-built robotaxis that lack traditional controls like steering wheels and pedals. The exemption is one of the last regulatory hurdles Zoox needed before launching commercial operations. The NHTSA decision limits Zoox’s fleet size to 2,500 vehicles annually over two years while subjecting it to an adaptable oversight structure as its technology evolves. This follows a previous exemption that allowed free public road demonstrations in cities like San Francisco and Las Vegas but not paid services. The agency also announced updates to the exemption process for automakers testing new technologies. In addition, NHTSA is collaborating with SAE Industry Technologies Consortia on a $5 million initiative aimed at developing national AV safety standards over three years.
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Topics: NHTSA exemption robotaxi self-driving cars