BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 30. Amazon-owned Zoox has become the first autonomous vehicle company to receive US approval to commercially operate robotaxis without a steering wheel or pedals, marking a major milestone for the self-driving industry.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) granted Zoox an exemption from federal vehicle safety rules that normally require conventional human driving controls.
NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison told Reuters that Zoox has been authorized to commercially deploy up to 2,500 autonomous vehicles per year over the next two years.
According to Morrison, the agency concluded that the safety systems installed in Zoox's purpose-built robotaxis meet or exceed the performance standards expected of conventionally compliant vehicles. He added that regulators will continue monitoring the automated driving system to ensure it operates safely.
Zoox's fully electric robotaxi features a carriage-style design with two rows of inward-facing seats and was developed specifically for autonomous ride-hailing rather than being adapted from a traditional vehicle.
The approval comes as competition in the US autonomous mobility market intensifies, with companies including Tesla and Alphabet's Waymo expanding their robotaxi services.
