Amazon subsidiary Zoox is the first company to receive approval from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to operate a vehicle without controls for a human driver for commercial use.
The Zoox vehicles, which were specifically designed as autonomous cars, have no driver’s seat, no steering wheel, no pedals, and no other controls that would allow a human driver to operate the vehicle. The interior consists of two benches arranged facing each other, similar to those found in gondolas or train compartments.
However, the approval comes with restrictions: Zoox is permitted to put 2,500 of these vehicles into commercial operation on public roads each year for the next two years. Zoox currently has a factory in Fremont with an annual production capacity of 10,000 of these Zooxies.
The agency stated that it had determined the vehicle to be just as safe as a comparable vehicle that meets the currently suspended federal safety standards for motor vehicles. However, Zoox is not permitted to sell any of these vehicles to the public. Zoox is also subject to certain reporting requirements to the NHTSA regarding collisions or unexpected stops that obstruct traffic. In addition, all legally required teleoperators and teleassistants must be located in the United States. Zoox must publish maps of the areas where the vehicles are in operation.
Zoox is currently operating public robotaxi services on a trial basis in Las Vegas and San Francisco. Other manufacturers seeking such a permit include Tesla and Waymo.
Here’s the NHTSA press release.
This article was also published in German.
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