Amazon-Zoox robotaxis are beginning to give free rides through parts of Las Vegas as part of its driverless service's launch. — Zoox Inc via AP
Zoox is seeking wider clearance from US regulators to operate self-driving cars that lack traditional driving controls, suggesting that the autonomous-vehicle subsidiary of Amazon.com Inc is preparing for broader commercial deployment.
Zoox requested exemptions from US vehicle safety standards field vehicles that will be operated by an automated driving system without a human operator on board, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a regulatory filing made public on Wednesday.
The exemption Zoox is seeking would allow the company to operate as many as 2,500 self-driving cars on US roads. A previous approval only covered vehicles that were designed for research and demonstrations.
Zoox said it’s working closely with NHTSA through the agency’s new exemption process.
The request shows how self-driving vehicle developers are moving to capitalize on Trump administration moves to clear regulatory barriers that have historically posed hurdles for autonomous vehicles designed to be driven by a computer rather than a human being. Those rules have previously tripped up companies including Zoox, General Motors Co and Tesla Inc that have designed self-driving cars without foot pedals or steering wheels.
The Department of Transportation in August granted Zoox an exemption from federal vehicle safety standards for vehicles that were described in earlier regulatory filings as being "bi-directional, equipped with an automated driving system, and lacking traditional driving controls”.
The company’s latest request seeks exemptions from standards relating to features such as windshield wipers, defogging systems and occupant crash protection equipment.
Granting the request would be a potential boost for Zoox. The company in June opened a robotaxi production facility in California where it plans to eventually build 10,000 purpose-built robotaxis a year. The Amazon-owned company’s robotaxi is akin to a shuttle and has no steering wheel or pedals, with four inward-facing seats.
The agency said in the filing that it "has not yet reached any conclusion on the merits of Zoox’s application”. – Bloomberg
