Zoox Gains NHTSA Approval for Steering Wheel-Free Autonomous Vehicles

Amazon's autonomous driving subsidiary, Zoox, has received approval from U.S. regulatory authorities to proceed with road testing of its driverless, steering wheel-free vehicles. This decision concludes a protracted negotiation between the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Zoox, which began when the company unveiled its innovative design in 2022.

The exemption granted by NHTSA allows all Zoox autonomous vehicles operating on public roads to comply with the new safety standards. While the specific scale of operations remains undisclosed, this development is a significant milestone for Zoox. The company recently completed a robotaxi factory in California, with plans to produce 10,000 customized autonomous taxis annually. The vehicle features a four-seat layout with opposing seats, completely eliminating the traditional steering wheel and pedal design.

Current U.S. automotive safety standards typically require vehicles to retain manual control devices, posing regulatory challenges for companies like Zoox, General Motors, and Tesla, which are pursuing designs that minimize human intervention. NHTSA has taken several steps this year to ease regulations for autonomous vehicles, including updating import car exemption clauses to cover domestically produced autonomous vehicles and streamlining the exemption approval process. These reforms align with the regulatory philosophy advocated by Tesla CEO Elon Musk during the Trump administration.

Zoox's approval to operate without traditional control devices is a significant step forward in the development of autonomous vehicles. It demonstrates the growing acceptance of advanced technologies in the automotive industry and the willingness of regulatory bodies to adapt to new innovations. This decision could pave the way for other companies to pursue similar designs, potentially accelerating the adoption of fully autonomous vehicles. The exemption granted by NHTSA allows all Zoox autonomous vehicles operating on public roads to comply with the new safety standards. While the specific scale of operations remains undisclosed, this development is a significant milestone for Zoox. The company recently completed a robotaxi factory in California, with plans to produce 10,000 customized autonomous taxis annually. The vehicle features a four-seat layout with opposing seats, completely eliminating the traditional steering wheel and pedal design.