NHTSA granted Amazon-owned Zoox a temporary exemption from eight federal vehicle-safety standards, clearing a major obstacle for its steering-wheel- and pedal-free robotaxi. Zoox indicated that paid rides would begin first in Las Vegas, moving the company from testing toward commercial urban transportation.
Urban significance: This is an important test of whether cities can integrate vehicles designed exclusively for autonomy—not modified conventional cars—into traffic, curb space, emergency-response systems, and ride-hailing regulation.
