Zoox wins first U.S. exemption to charge fares in steering-wheel-free robotaxis

Amazon-owned Zoox has secured a first-of-its-kind federal exemption allowing it to collect fares from passengers in purpose-built robotaxis that have no steering wheel or pedals, opening the door to the first commercial U.S. deployment of a driverless vehicle designed from the outset without traditional human controls. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Administrator Jonathan Morrison said the approval lets Zoox deploy as many as 2,500 vehicles in each of the next two years. The decision, published Thursday in the Federal Register, temporarily waives eight federal motor vehicle safety standards that do not fit Zoox’s electric carriage-style vehicle, which has two rows of inward-facing seats and a top speed of 75 mph. Morrison said Zoox’s systems "exceed the equivalent performance requirements of a compliant vehicle," while adding that regulators still want to ensure the automated driving system operates appropriately. NHTSA attached strict conditions to the exemption. Zoox must maintain U.S.-based remote operators who can monitor and intervene in vehicle operations, publicly map every area where its robotaxis operate, and provide continuous reporting on crashes, unexpected stops and other operational issues. Morrison said the agency can revoke the exemption if serious safety concerns arise. Zoox already offers free rides in parts of Las Vegas and San Francisco under an earlier testing exemption granted last August, but it still needs state and local approvals before it can begin charging riders. A Zoox spokesperson said the company plans to start paid rides in Las Vegas next month. California, where Zoox is headquartered, has its own permitting process, underscoring that broader commercialization will depend on a patchwork of state and local rules. The ruling lands as autonomous vehicle developers race to expand robotaxi services. Alphabet’s Waymo has scaled paid operations with modified conventional vehicles that retain traditional controls, while Tesla is producing its Cybercab, another vehicle without human controls. NHTSA’s two-year cap and revocation authority give regulators a controlled test bed as they work toward federal standards for automated driving systems and revised rules no longer built around steering wheels and brake pedals. The approval also comes amid tougher scrutiny of the sector after incidents involving robotaxis around school buses, construction zones, flooded roads, busy intersections and active emergency scenes. Zoox recently recalled its full fleet of 105 autonomous vehicles for a software update after saying the vehicles might fail to detect heavy smoke. The company’s safety performance under this exemption could influence how regulators treat similar purpose-built autonomous vehicles in the future.