Amazon’s Zoox seeks approval for driverless car deployment
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Amazon's autonomous car subsidiary wants to be able to deploy cars without any driver controls in the cabin.
PHOTO: AFP
Follow topic:
- Zoox seeks US clearance to operate 2,500 self-driving cars without human controls, expanding beyond research vehicles.
- The request targets exemptions from safety standards for features like windshield wipers and occupant protection.
- Approval would boost Zoox's robotaxi production, aiming for 10,000 units annually at its California facility.
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Zoox is seeking wider clearance from US regulators to operate self-driving cars that lack traditional driving controls, suggesting that the autonomous-vehicle subsidiary of Amazon is preparing for broader commercial deployment.
Zoox requested exemptions from US vehicle safety standards field vehicles that will be operated by an automated driving system without a human operator on board, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said in a regulatory filing made public on Sept 24, 2025.
The exemption Zoox is seeking would allow the company to operate as many as 2,500 self-driving cars on US roads. A previous approval covered only vehicles that were designed for research and demonstrations.
Zoox said it is working closely with NHTSA through the agency’s new exemption process.
The request shows how self-driving vehicle developers are trying to capitalise on American President Donald Trump’s administration moves to clear regulatory barriers that have historically posed hurdles for autonomous vehicles designed to be driven by a computer rather than a human being.
Those rules have previously tripped up companies including Zoox, General Motors and Tesla that have designed self-driving cars without foot pedals or steering wheels.
The Department of Transportation in August granted Zoox an exemption from federal vehicle safety standards for vehicles that were described in earlier regulatory filings as being “bi-directional, equipped with an automated driving system, and lacking traditional driving controls”.
The company’s latest request seeks exemptions from standards relating to features such as windshield wipers, defogging systems and occupant crash protection equipment.
Granting the request would be a potential boost for Zoox.
The company in June opened a robotaxi production facility in California, where it plans to eventually build 10,000 robotaxis a year. The Amazon-owned company’s robotaxi is akin to a shuttle and has no steering wheel or pedals, with four inward-facing seats.
The agency said in the filing that it “has not yet reached any conclusion on the merits of Zoox’s application”. BLOOMBERG
