US Seeks Comment on Zoox Petition to Deploy Robotaxis Without Steering Wheels

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Tuesday it is seeking public comments on Amazon.com’s self-driving unit Zoox to deploy up to 2,500 purpose-built, steering-wheel-free robotaxis.

Related: Waymo Valued at $126B in Latest Financing as Robotaxis Gather Steam

Zoox filed a petition in August seeking approval with the auto safety agency saying they would provide at least an equivalent level of safety to human-driven vehicles.

Related: Driverless Future Gains Momentum With Global Robotaxi Deployments

“This marks a major milestone towards providing the American AV industry with a streamlined pathway to scaled commercial deployment of novel AV fleets,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said at a forum Tuesday, adding he has approved NHTSA’s next round of proposed updates to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards to account for vehicles without human drivers.

(Reporting by Shepardson)