Amazon’s Zoox Is The First Steering Wheel-Free Robotaxi To Get Regulatory Approval For Paid Rides

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has granted Amazon’s Zoox the first commercial exemption for a robotaxi without a steering wheel or any other traditional manual controls. That means it now has regulatory approval to charge for rides on its quirky box vehicles that look more like single-carriage trams than cars. 

As Zoox explained in its post, the US opened a new exemption pathway for domestic manufacturers working on AVs that don’t have traditional manual controls in 2025, and it’s through that pathway Zoox was able to start demonstrating its technology on the roads. In its announcement, the agency said it’s taking a series of steps to “accelerate American automated vehicle (AV) innovation.” One of those is granting Zoox a temporary exemption for the commercial deployment of up to 2,500 vehicles annually over the next two years. Zoox’s exemption will be “subject to an enhanced, adaptable oversight structure that can evolve as [the Amazon subsidiary’s] technology advances.”

Zoox is now working with regulators in Nevada and California, where it’s currently testing its vehicles, so that it can start charging fares. Its first paid rides will be available in Las Vegas, when it also debuted its service in 2025. In California, Zoox is available in San Francisco, but it didn’t say when it will begin charging people for rides in the city. Since the exemption is good for two years, Zoox will probably be offering paid rides in more cities than those two. Earlier this year, it revealed that it was going to bring its robotaxis to Dallas, Phoenix, Austin and Miami, among other locations in the US.