Amazon‘s subsidiary Zoox announced on February 13 the deployment of its purpose-built robotaxi on California roads with passengers, claiming it is the first in the world. Now, federal regulators, particularly the National Highway Transportation Safety Agency, are scrutinizing the robotaxis qualifications to travel on public roads.
“Becoming the first company to operate a purpose-built robotaxi with passengers on open public roads in California is a significant milestone in not only Zoox’s journey, but for the autonomous vehicle industry at large.”
Zoox CEO Aicha Evans
For context, Zoox started deploying its robotaxis on February 11 to transport its employees on Foster City, California roads after it self-certified the smart cars.
Zoox’s self-certification
The autonomous mobility-as-a-service company claims that its robotoxis has undergone “rigorous” testing on private roads, which gained approval from the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to finally hit the public roads.
Zoox further noted that it is the first purpose-built robotaxi that is “self-certified” by the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS).
However, to ensure that self-certifications adhere to the standards, the NHTSA still has the authority to review and scrutinize them in certain circumstances, as the agency spokesperson told Automotive News.
“The agency is evaluating the basis for these self-certification claims and, as part of this effort, continues to review information provided by Zoox in response to questions previously posed by the agency.”
NHTSA spokesperson
Standards
It is worth noting that the NHTSA does not require prior approval of or forbid the launch of new vehicles or vehicle technology, considering that they adhere to safety standards.
As for those vehicles that fail to meet the standards, they would still be permitted as the automaker first obtain an NHTSA exemption. In this case, Zoox did not pursue an exemption or any other regulatory options.
Nonetheless, Zoox’s CEO argues that there were “no limitations” on the public road debut of its robotaxis. Zoox has also not clarified how it interpreted the government regulations and their conformity.
Meanwhile, the tech firm asserted that FMVSS performance standards were directly included in the robotaxi. It also claimed that it incorporated “more than 100 safety innovations not available in today’s passenger cars.”
Zoox robotaxis are not equipped with a steering wheel, brake pedal, or any other traditional controls. That said, many experts are worried about its safety, considering that Zoox has plans to offer the technology to the public.
“Today, with the announcement of the maiden run of our autonomous employee shuttle, we are adding to the progress this industry has seen over the last year and bringing Zoox one step closer to a commercialized purpose-built robotaxi service for the general public.”
Zoox CEO Aicha Evans
