Hey followers, Nuked here! Let me tell you about some exciting news in the world of self-driving tech.

Recently, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) approved Zoox to showcase its innovative custom-built robotaxis on public roads. This move also wrapped up a parallel investigation into whether Zoox’s vehicles met federal safety standards, which include having a steering wheel and pedals.

Originally, Zoox claimed that their vehicles were compliant and self-certified in July 2022, but NHTSA challenged this and started probing their certification process in March 2023. Despite the scrutiny, Zoox kept testing its vehicles—those without traditional controls—in California, Las Vegas, and San Francisco, mainly for testing and demonstration purposes.

At present, Zoox isn’t offering rides commercially. Instead, they’ve opened their vehicles to employees and friends in San Francisco and launched pilot programs in Las Vegas for early public testing. Thanks to the exemption, Zoox can showcase their robotaxis, but full commercial deployment remains on hold for now.

This situation ties into NHTSA’s new national framework, called AV STEP, which aims to streamline the approval process for autonomous vehicles lacking manual controls. The framework supports the adoption of vehicles without steering wheels, pedals, or mirrors, making it easier for companies like Zoox to get approval for widespread deployment.

Zoox’s spokesperson, Whitney Jencks, mentioned they are working closely with NHTSA, starting with demonstration exemptions and moving toward full commercial ones. The agreement also involves NHTSA closing its investigation into Zoox’s self-certification and requiring Zoox to clarify that their vehicles are designed to meet safety standards.

In summary, Zoox now has government approval to demonstrate its robotaxis on public roads, paving the way for future autonomous vehicle deployments without manual controls. This development marks a significant step toward broader acceptance and integration of driverless taxis in our cities.