Paid robotaxi rides without a steering wheel or pedals to launch in the U.S.
The Zoox robotaxi service, owned by Amazon.com Inc., has become the first in the U.S. to receive federal permission to carry out paid passenger transportation using self-driving cars that lack traditional controls.
The Wall Street Journal reports this.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has granted Zoox permission to put up to 5,000 such vehicles on the roads over two years (a maximum of 2,500 per year). The company will be able to use these vehicles provided that the regulator establishes an "oversight framework" for its technologies, according to the NHTSA statement.
In doing so, the administration made an exception to the requirements under which taxis must be equipped with means of human control.
"We reserve the right to revoke this exemption if serious safety problems arise," said NHTSA head Jonathan Morrison.
As noted, Zoox previously provided its services free of charge, and more than half a million passengers have already used its rides in Las Vegas and San Francisco (another half a million are on the waiting list). Next month, the commercial service is scheduled to launch in Las Vegas, the company reports.
Unlike some competitors in the robotaxi market, such as Waymo or Tesla, Zoox vehicles have no steering wheel or pedals. According to the WSJ, their design resembles toasters on wheels.
