Zoox has formally asked federal regulators for an exemption that would allow the Amazon-owned autonomous vehicle company to commercially launch its custom-built robotaxis, which lack traditional controls such as pedals and a steering wheel.
The exemption request, first reported by Bloomberg, was confirmed by Zoox. A company spokesperson said Zoox submitted a petition for a “555 exemption” and is working closely with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) through the process.
An NHTSA spokesperson told TechCrunch that Zoox is seeking a temporary exemption from eight Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards applicable to its automated passenger car. The agency is reviewing the petition and will publish a notice seeking public comment once its initial review is complete.
The move follows two recent milestones for Zoox. Earlier this month, the company launched a free public robotaxi service in Las Vegas. In August, NHTSA granted Zoox a separate exemption allowing it to demonstrate its custom-built robotaxis on public roads, a decision that clarified long-standing compliance questions but was limited to testing and research.
This latest petition is aimed at broadening the scope to enable commercial deployment. If approved, Zoox would be among the first companies cleared to operate fully autonomous, steering wheel-free robotaxis in the United States.
