Zoox's purpose-built robotaxi is the first vehicle of their kind to win approval from the U.S. to start a commercial service.
The temporary exemption from motor vehicle standards will allow Zoox to deploy up to 2,500 vehicles per year for two years.
Zoox has been offering free rides in its autonomous pods, which lack a steering wheel and pedals.
The top U.S. road-safety regulator has cleared Zoox to start charging for rides in its unconventional robotaxi pods, which lack typically required car features like a steering wheel, brakes, or side mirrors. Zoox says it's the first time this kind of purpose-built autonomous vehicle has received an exemption from federal motor vehicle safety standards to deploy commercially.
Amazon-owned Zoox has opened up limited passenger rides in parts of Las Vegas and San Francisco, but it hasn't been charging for them. While Waymo uses a fleet of modified Jaguar I-Pace EVs, and Tesla's fledgling Robotaxi service relies on Model Ys, Zoox designs and manufactures its own vehicles in California that are purpose-built for autonomous rides. The pods have two rows of bench seating that face one another, and are bidirectional.
