Amazon's Zoox wins U.S. approval for limited driverless robotaxi service
U.S. auto safety regulators said Thursday that Zoox has been approved to carry out limited commercial deployments of its new steering-wheel-free robotaxi, a first for the autonomous vehicle industry. Zoox said the decision by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gives the company federal approval to begin offering paid rides, and said it will soon launch paid service in Las Vegas before gradually expanding to other markets once state requirements are met. Earlier media reports said the agency’s granting of the permit exempted Zoox from federal rules requiring human controls in vehicles. It marks an important milestone for companies developing robotaxis from the ground up. Zoox’s vehicles have two rows of face-to-face seats and a top speed of 75 miles per hour (120 kilometers per hour). In addition, companies such as Alphabet’s Waymo are also racing to expand autonomous ride-hailing services in the U.S.