Amazon's Zoox is the first company in the U.S. to win federal NHTSA approval to operate and charge for robotaxi rides in vehicles with no steering wheel or pedals, launching first in Las Vegas before expanding to additional cities pending state approvals.
NHTSA capped the exemption at up to 2,500 vehicles per year for the next two years, while requiring extra safety reporting from Zoox and retaining authority to revoke the approval if major issues arise.
As the first federal exemption for a fully driverless commercial ride service, the decision sets NHTSA's initial regulatory template for scaling steering-wheel-free robotaxis nationwide, a precedent every other AV operator seeking paid driverless service will now be measured against.