For the First Time, Zoox Can Charge People for Rides in Its Steering-Wheel-Free Robotaxis
Amazon subsidiary Zoox has received approval to begin charging for rides in its steering-wheel-free robotaxis in Las Vegas. This marks a regulatory milestone for autonomous vehicles that do not adhere to traditional safety design standards.
Why it matters
This development signals a shift in federal regulatory willingness to accommodate purpose-built autonomous vehicles, potentially accelerating the deployment of driverless transport.
The company, Amazon subsidiary Zoox, says it will soon begin to charge for rides in Las Vegas, where it’s been carrying passengers for free since last year. The company is also currently picking up a limited set of passengers in Austin, Miami, and San Francisco, all for free.
The approval is a milestone for the autonomous vehicle industry. Waymo, the nation’s leading robotaxi provider, uses vehicles that still meet government design standards—with steering wheels, pedals, and mirrors, and conventional seating arrangements. (Even the company’s new, purpose-built robotaxi has those legally mandated features.) But some industry players argue that driverless tech can only reach its potential with vehicles built to be driven by computers—ones that don’t meet federal vehicle safety standards written for older technology.
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