Zoox wins first US approval for paid robotaxis without human controls

NHTSA granted Amazon-owned Zoox a temporary exemption allowing paid service in purpose-built vehicles without a steering wheel or pedals. reports say that Zoox may deploy up to 2,500 vehicles per year for two years, subject to state and local requirements, enhanced crash and abnormal-stop reporting, US-based remote operators and published operating-area maps.

Why it matters: This is a regulatory path for autonomous vehicles designed from the outset without human driving controls, but it remains a conditional exemption—not blanket approval of the technology.

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