AIBRIEF
NHTSA, the U.S. auto safety regulator, cleared Zoox to move from free test rides in Las Vegas to a paid commercial robotaxi service under a two year, 2,500 vehicle per year cap.
Amazon's Zoox has become the first purpose-built robotaxi without a steering wheel or pedals cleared to charge paying passengers in the U.S., after NHTSA, the U.S. auto-safety regulator, issued a two-year exemption from federal motor-vehicle safety standards.
The Federal Register notice 2026-15485, effective July 31, 2026 through July 31, 2028, waives portions of eight FMVSS rules covering windshield defrosting, lighting, mirrors, hydraulic brakes, vehicle conspicuity, occupant protection, and seat belt assemblies. The NHTSA press release calls it the first demonstration exemption issued for an American-built automated vehicle.
The cap: up to 2,500 vehicles per year, and the cars cannot be sold to consumers. Zoox plans to launch paid service in Las Vegas, where it already runs free test rides; the company also tests in parts of San Francisco. The carriage-style vehicle, with two rows of inward-facing seats and no traditional human controls, has a top speed of 75 mph (120 kph).
NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison said the agency determined the vehicles achieve safety "comparable to" a compliant vehicle, the legal test for the exemption. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy framed the approval as the U.S., not China, leading the future of self-driving. The agency kept authority to revise or revoke the exemption and required additional reporting on crashes and roadside stops.
A separate Zoox and Uber partnership announced this year is a distribution deal, not part of the regulatory action.