News Summary

Zoox, the Amazon-owned autonomous vehicle company, has petitioned federal regulators for an exemption that would allow it to commercially deploy its custom-built robotaxis, which lack traditional controls such as pedals and a steering wheel. The exemption request, known as a ‘555 exemption,’ was confirmed by a Zoox spokesperson and is currently under review by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). This move comes after Zoox launched a free robotaxi service open to the public in Las Vegas and received an earlier exemption in August for research and demonstrations. The new exemption would enable Zoox to broaden its operations and officially launch a commercial robotaxi service.