The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued a temporary permit to Zoox, a corporation created by Amazon, for the commercial operation of an electric robotaxi. This vehicle lacks a steering wheel and brake pedal, and its movement during operation can only be controlled by a remote operator.

This is the first such case for an autonomous taxi of this design. Currently, NHTSA is also developing general regulatory standards for unmanned vehicles of this type. Such robotaxis are already operating in Las Vegas and San Francisco; however, until now, they have transported passengers free of charge as part of a testing mode.

As expected, in August, the paid version of the Zoox service will begin operating in Las Vegas. In the future, the launch of robotaxis is also planned in the territory of other states. The permit issued by NHTSA allows the service to use up to 2,500 vehicles annually for the next two years. Inside the Zoox robotaxi, seats are installed facing each other, and the maximum speed of the vehicle is 120 km/h.

Robotaxis from Tesla and Waymo, owned by Alphabet, are already operating in several U.S. cities. Unlike the Zoox model, these cars are standard vehicles modified for autonomous driving rather than purpose-built driverless cars.