EVwire brief: Amazon-owned Zoox can finally put a fare on its robotaxi. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration granted Amazon's autonomous vehicle unit a temporary exemption on Thursday, clearing the last major federal barrier to paid rides in the company’s robotaxi pod.
The exemption applies because Zoox's vehicles were designed specifically for autonomous driving and do not feature traditional controls such as steering wheels or pedals. NHTSA exempted the company from eight federal motor vehicle safety standards, though it also limited Zoox’s commercial fleet to 2,500 vehicles annually for two years under an enhanced regulatory oversight framework.
Rides in Zoox’s robotaxi pods in areas like San Francisco have so far been free.
Zoox said it plans to launch its paid robotaxi service in Las Vegas first, with additional markets to follow as state-level approvals are secured. In California, the company still needs driverless deployment permits from the California Public Utilities Commission and the Department of Motor Vehicles before commercial service can begin.
The Zoox approval landed as one piece of a wider NHTSA package aimed at speeding up automated-vehicle rules. As per NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison, the package is expected to clear a path for companies like Zoox without letting go of oversight.
“NHTSA supports the safe development and deployment of automated vehicles. By removing unnecessary barriers to innovation, developing industry guidance, and providing strong enforcement oversight while we create performance requirements, NHTSA is taking a balanced approach to AV regulation. These advancements will ensure that the United States continues to lead the world in AV technology in a safe and responsible manner.”
Inside Zoox’s production-intent pod, which features no manual controls.
Context:
Zoox has been building toward this moment for a while. The pod is a cube-shaped vehicle with no manual controls, four carriage-style seats, and a top speed of 75 mph (121 km/h). Zoox calls the current version its production-intent robotaxi, the one it plans to build at scale at its Hayward, California factory, which has room to eventually turn out 10,000 vehicles a year.
Until now, all Zoox rides have all been free. Zoox has been testing and offering no-charge trips in Austin, San Francisco, Las Vegas, and Miami while it waited on Washington. Thursday's exemption is what turns that pilot into a business.
Here’s the full NHTSA’s exemption notice for Zoox:
Source: TechCrunch, NHTSA
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