News Summary

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has granted an exemption to Zoox, an Amazon-owned company, allowing it to demonstrate its custom-built robotaxis on public roads. This decision follows a lengthy investigation into whether these autonomous vehicles, which lack traditional controls like steering wheels and pedals, complied with federal safety standards. The exemption permits Zoox to proceed with testing its vehicles in cities such as Foster City, Las Vegas, and San Francisco, although commercial operations are not yet authorized. This move is part of NHTSA’s new AV STEP framework, designed to facilitate the deployment of autonomous vehicles without manual driving controls. Zoox plans to work closely with NHTSA to transition from demonstration to commercial operations in the future.