Amazon's Zoox Wins First US Approval for Paid Robotaxis Without Human Controls

Amazon's Zoox has won U.S. approval for limited commercial deployment of its novel steering-wheel-free robotaxis, a first for the autonomous ride industry. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) granted Zoox a temporary exemption allowing up to 2,500 vehicles annually for two years, subject to an enhanced oversight structure. This clears the way for Zoox to begin charging passengers for rides, provided it also obtains state and local approvals. The agency determined that Zoox's systems exceed the equivalent performance requirements of a compliant vehicle, but additional reporting requirements have been imposed to ensure safety.