Amazon-owned Zoox just cleared a major federal hurdle. The NHTSA granted the company a temporary exemption to charge for rides in its steering-wheel-free robotaxis, allowing up to 2,500 of these vehicles to operate in Las Vegas over the next two years. 🚀
These cars are built from scratch without steering wheels, pedals, or mirrors. Inside, you will find two bench seats facing each other instead of a standard driver’s console.
The agency’s decision creates an enhanced, adaptable oversight structure that will evolve as the company’s technology advances.
Before this move, federal rules required all vehicles carrying paying passengers to include manual controls. Zoox is now the first company to bypass these requirements for a purpose-built autonomous vehicle. It is a sharp departure from standard car regulations that have strictly mandated driver controls for decades.
You will likely see these custom machines on the streets as early as next month. The real test starts when they have to handle unpredictable city traffic full of human drivers.
The driverless future just hit the road.
#Zoox #Robotaxi #AutonomousVehicles
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