Amazon’s autonomous vehicle branch Zoox received a green light from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to operate and charge for rides in fully driverless robotaxis that lack steering wheels and pedals. This marks the first time a purpose-built robotaxi without any human controls has earned federal approval for commercial use in the US.
The NHTSA granted Zoox an exemption from eight federal safety standards that don’t apply to vehicles without traditional controls, allowing deployment of up to 2,500 vehicles annually for two years. Unlike competitors such as Waymo, which retrofit existing cars with autonomous tech, Zoox engineered these pods from scratch. They feature inward-facing seats and can reach speeds up to 75 mph.
Launch Plans and Regulatory Requirements
Zoox plans to start paid rides in Las Vegas once it secures state and local permissions. The company has been giving free rides in Las Vegas and San Francisco since August 2025 under a demonstration exemption, initially rolling out about 100 vehicles. CEO Aicha Evans emphasized this is the first commercial exemption for a vehicle designed solely as a robotaxi.
The approval comes with conditions: Zoox must keep US-based remote operators ready to monitor and take control if necessary. They also have to publish detailed maps of operating zones and report crashes continuously. NHTSA can revoke the exemption at any time if safety issues arise. This means Zoox is essentially on a two-year probationary period with a kill switch.
