Zoox just scored a big win. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) granted the Amazon-owned robotaxi maker an exemption. That lets Zoox demo its custom-built autonomous vehicles on public roads without traditional controls like steering wheels or pedals.
The issue started when Zoox announced in July 2022 that it self-certified its cars complied with federal safety rules. NHTSA pushed back and opened an investigation in March 2023 to scrutinize that process and the data Zoox used. The agency questioned how these non-traditional vehicles could meet federal motor vehicle safety standards designed for cars with manual controls.
Zoox didn’t slow down. It began public road tests near its Foster City, California HQ in early 2023 and expanded trials to Las Vegas and San Francisco. While not operating commercially yet, Zoox opened rides to employees, friends, family, and launched an early public rider program called Zoox Explorer in Las Vegas. 
The new exemption, announced Wednesday, clears up this regulatory mess. Zoox can now legally demonstrate the robotaxis without pedals or steering wheels but still cannot operate commercially. NHTSA’s move ties into its new national framework, AV STEP, meant to speed up approvals for autonomous vehicles without manual controls.
Zoox spokesperson Whitney Jencks confirmed they are working closely with NHTSA to move from demonstration to commercial exemptions.
NHTSA also ended its investigation. Zoox agreed to remove all claims that their vehicles meet federal motor vehicle safety standards.
Whitney Jencks stated:
Zoox is working in close cooperation with NHTSA on this process, beginning with the demonstration exemption and followed by the commercial exemption.
This is a key step for fully driverless vehicles without traditional controls aiming for public roads.
