Zoox, the autonomous vehicle (AV) unit of Amazon, has secured a commercial exemption from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), enabling it to charge fares for rides in a robotaxi built without conventional driving controls.

The company describes itself as the “first” to receive such clearance for a purpose-built vehicle of this kind.

The approval gives Zoox federal regulatory clearance to run its self-driving vehicle as a paid ride-hailing service.

Fares are set to begin in Las Vegas, Nevada, next month, which the company says will represent its first commercial rollout.

In its statement, the NHTSA said: “This temporary exemption will allow the commercial deployment of up to 2,500 vehicles annually for two years, subject to an enhanced, adaptable oversight structure that can evolve as Zoox’s technology advances.” 

Zoox, established in 2014 and bought by Amazon in 2020, has for some time been in discussions with NHTSA regarding what it regards as outdated Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS), given that its vehicle has no steering wheel or pedals.

In 2025, the regulator introduced a new exemption route aimed at domestic manufacturers building autonomous vehicles lacking manual controls.

Zoox obtained a demonstration exemption through this route in August 2025, a milestone it says made it the "first" AV company to do so.

Zoox currently runs services in Nevada and California, where it has been liaising with state regulators to meet the conditions needed for commercial operation.

The firm launched a complimentary service in Las Vegas last year, alongside its Zoox Explorers Programme in San Francisco.

In its statement, the company said: “We are continuing to work closely with the administration and NHTSA on lasting, industry-wide change. This roadmap includes updates to the FMVSS themselves to enable the deployment of safe autonomous vehicles, without the constraints of vestigial elements applicable only to human drivers.”  

In March this year, Zoox struck a partnership with Uber Technologies to bring its purpose-built robotaxis onto Uber's ride-hailing platform, meaning Zoox vehicles will become accessible to riders through the Uber app.