US Investigates Amazon’s Self-Driving Taxi Zoox After Two Crashes

The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating Amazon’s robotaxi company, Zoox, after two crashes involving motorcycles. The motorcyclists hit Zoox’s Toyota Highlander test cars when the cars unexpectedly hit the brakes.

Both incidents happened during the day while the cars were in self-driving mode and operating within their limits.

“ODI has opened a Preliminary Evaluation to investigate the Zoox Automated Driving System equipped on the subject vehicles,” the notice says.

According to the notice, “This investigation will evaluate the Zoox Automated Driving System performance, particularly relating to the collisions listed in this resume, the behavior in crosswalks around vulnerable road users, and in other similar rear-end collision scenarios.”

Crashes occurred in San Francisco and Spring Valley

One crash resulted in minor injuries to a motorcyclist, while in the other crash, a Zoox driver also reported minor injuries. These incidents occurred last month, with one taking place in San Francisco and the other in Spring Valley, Nevada, according to AP News.

Zoox stated its commitment to cooperating with the NHTSA and addressing its inquiries. The company emphasized the importance of transparency and collaboration with regulators. Additionally, Zoox mentioned their vehicles had human safety drivers onboard during these incidents.

NHTSA Launches Investigation Into Amazon’s Self-Driving Zoox Division: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is looking into the Amazon-owned Zoox after two of its robotaxis were involved in crashes. The vehicles in question were effectively faulted with… pic.twitter.com/EzgkglYAoD

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The NHTSA investigation will focus on the safety of around 500 of Amazon’s robotaxi models. It’s important to note that this investigation doesn’t include Zoox’s special self-driving cars, which just hit the roads in March, as reported by Techopedia.

Zoox disclosed the crashes in compliance with an order given to automated vehicle companies in 2021.

Amazon acquired Zoox in June 2020

Amazon bought Zoox in June 2020 for a sum of over $1 billion, as estimated by analysts. In 2023, the Foster City, California-based company announced that one of its distinctive four-person shuttles successfully transported employees autonomously on public roads.

The route covered a distance of one mile (approximately 1.6 kilometers) between two Zoox buildings. The company has introduced a shuttle service solely for its employees. Analysts expect Amazon will utilize the Zoox system for autonomous deliveries.

Zoox shuttles are distinctive because they lack a steering wheel or pedals. Inside, the vehicle features two benches facing each other in a carriage-style setup. It’s nearly 12 feet long, which is about a foot shorter than a typical Mini Cooper.

The vehicle has the capacity to reach speeds of up to 75 mph (121 kilometers per hour), but during its initial public road runs, it operated at speeds of up to 35 mph, according to the company.

Zoox was already under investigation by the NHTSA. In March 2022, the agency started examining the company’s certification regarding its vehicle’s compliance with federal safety standards for motor vehicles.