Federal Supervisors give ZOX an exemption for his tailor -made robotaxis | Techcrunch

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has given ZOX an exemption to demonstrate its tailor -made robotaxis on public roads and to conclude a related investigation into whether the company in Amazon was in the hands of the federal regulations.

The decision, announced on Wednesday, cleans up a long -term debate about whether the customized autonomous vehicles of ZOX met the safety standards of the federal motor vehicles, which require vehicles such as having a steering wheel and pedals. ZOX had argued that it did in July 2022 and announced that it was self-certified; Nhtsa Balked. The agency opened an investigation in March 2023 to investigate the matter, and specifically the process and data that ZOX had used to certify itself.

The research did not delay the development and testing of the autonomous vehicle technology from ZOX. At the beginning of 2023, ZOX began to test its tailor -made robotaxis, which do not have a steering wheel or other traditional controls, on public roads near Fremont’s head office, California. The company has since expanded its test footprint to Las Vegas and San Francisco.

ZOX has no commercial service yet. In San Francisco, however, it has opened its robotaxis for employees and family and friends. Earlier this year, the company launched a ZOX Explorer program, aimed at early public riders, in Las Vegas.

For now, the exemption ZOX can demonstrate the Robotaxis, not to serve commercially.

The announcement of NHTSA is connected to his New National FrameworkThe agency claims that it becomes easier for companies to use autonomous vehicles without traditional manual driving control – such as steering wheels, pedals and side review mirrors – on a scale.

The framework, known as AV Step (or ADS-exchanged vehicle safety, transparency and evaluation program), enables NHTSA to green the sale and commercialization of autonomous vehicles that do not meet federal safety standards due to a lack of manual checks.

The revised process includes an accelerated application with which companies such as ZOX can receive exemptions for tests and demonstrations, and ultimately commercial activities. Spokesperson for ZOX Whitney Jencks said in an e -mail that ZOX works in close collaboration with NHTSA in this process, starting with the demonstration rule and followed by the commercial exemption.

As part of the agreement, NHTSA has concluded its research into ZOX’s self -certification of his AVs. ZOX has agreed to remove or cover all statements that the specially built vehicles meet the applicable safety standards of the federal motor vehicle.