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NHTSA Grants Zoox Two-Year Exemption, Waives Safety Rules

7/30/2026

Summary

Zoox Granted Exemption

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) granted Amazon-owned Zoox a two-year temporary exemption to charge for robotaxi rides and operate up to 2,500 vehicles annually.
The exemption waives eight federal safety standards, including requirements for steering wheels and pedals.
NHTSA imposed an enhanced, adaptable oversight structure with additional reporting requirements for Zoox.
Administrator Jonathan Morrison said Zoox’s vehicles meet or exceed federal safety standards.

Summary

Zoox Recalls Robotaxis

Zoox recalled all 105 robotaxis after a unit failed to navigate heavy smoke, prompting a software fix.
NHTSA warned Zoox in July that its driverless cars had blocked emergency responders at incident sites.
Tesla’s Cybercab, also steering-wheel-free, has not sought the Part 555 exemption and is awaiting rule changes slated for 2028.
Zoox runs paid rides in Las Vegas and San Francisco and tests vehicles in Austin and Miami.

History

Historical Context

After Uber’s self-driving Ford Fusion struck pedestrian Elaine Herzberg on March 18 2018 in Tempe, Arizona—the first recorded autonomous-vehicle pedestrian death—NHTSA tightened oversight, mandating a 30-second accident-reporting rule in July 2021. The agency’s willingness to adjust rules reappeared in 2024 when it granted Amazon-owned Zoox a two-year waiver of safety standards, shaping current driverless-taxi rollouts.

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Zoox Granted Exemption

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) granted Amazon-owned Zoox a two-year temporary exemption to charge for robotaxi rides and operate up to 2,500 vehicles annually.
The exemption waives eight federal safety standards, including requirements for steering wheels and pedals.
NHTSA imposed an enhanced, adaptable oversight structure with additional reporting requirements for Zoox.
Administrator Jonathan Morrison said Zoox’s vehicles meet or exceed federal safety standards.

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