Amazon’s Zoox secures US federal approval for steering-wheel-free robotaxis

Core Impact Points

• Zoox has received approval from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to deploy up to 2,500 vehicles in the next two years.
• The company's robotaxis will operate without steering wheels or pedals, and will be available for public use in Las Vegas, with plans to expand to other cities.
• The approval comes with additional reporting requirements for Zoox, including tracking crashes or stopping issues on roads.
• Critics have raised concerns about the safety of autonomous vehicles, citing incidents where driverless cars have struck pedestrians or animals.
• Zoox and Tesla are working to catch up to industry leader Waymo, which already operates in multiple cities.
• Amazon hopes to produce up to 10,000 robotaxis a year at a plant near Silicon Valley, challenging Waymo's dominance in the market.