Amazon-owned Zoox has received a green light from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to demonstrate its custom-built, steering wheel–free robotaxis on public roads and the agency has officially closed a long-running investigation into the company’s compliance with federal safety standards.
The exemption, announced Wednesday, resolves a regulatory standoff that began when Zoox declared in 2022 that its purpose-built autonomous vehicles met federal motor vehicle safety standards (FMVSS), which traditionally require features like pedals and steering wheels. NHTSA disagreed, launching a probe in March 2023 to examine how Zoox had self-certified the compliance of its novel vehicle design.
Despite regulatory scrutiny, Zoox pressed forward with real-world testing. In early 2023, it began running its custom robotaxis designed without traditional driver controls on public roads near its headquarters in Foster City, California. The company has since expanded testing to Las Vegas and San Francisco, where it launched a Zoox Explorer program offering rides to early users, including employees and their families.
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Zoox does not yet offer a commercial autonomous ride-hailing service. However, the NHTSA exemption permits it to publicly demonstrate its vehicles while it continues development.
The move comes as NHTSA introduces a new regulatory framework designed to accelerate the deployment of autonomous vehicles that lack conventional controls. Dubbed AV STEP (ADS-Equipped Vehicle Safety, Transparency and Evaluation Program), the program outlines a streamlined exemption process that allows companies to test and eventually operate AVs commercially, even if they don’t fully meet FMVSS requirements.
Zoox is participating in AV STEP and has secured its first exemption for demonstrations, with plans to seek a future exemption for commercial operations, according to company spokesperson Whitney Jencks.
As part of the agreement, Zoox will no longer publicly claim that its vehicles meet all federal motor vehicle safety standards. In turn, NHTSA has officially dropped its investigation.
The regulatory clarity marks a significant milestone for Zoox and potentially sets a precedent for other autonomous vehicle developers aiming to ditch the steering wheel altogether.
