Zoox asks federal regulators for exemption to launch a commercial robotaxi service

Zoox, an Amazon-owned autonomous vehicle company, has formally requested a federal exemption to commercially deploy its custom-built robotaxis, which notably lack traditional vehicle controls such as pedals and a steering wheel. The company submitted a petition for a "555 exemption" to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), seeking relief from eight Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards that apply to passenger cars equipped with automated driving systems. NHTSA is currently reviewing the application and plans to publish a notice for public comment following its initial evaluation. This exemption request follows significant recent milestones for Zoox: earlier in September 2025, the company launched a public-facing robotaxi service in Las Vegas, and in August, NHTSA granted Zoox permission to demonstrate its vehicles on public roads under an earlier exemption. However, that previous exemption was limited to research and demonstration purposes, whereas the new application aims to expand the scope to allow full commercial operation of Zoox’s robotaxi service. The move represents a critical step toward