Amazon’s Zoox under investigation by NHTSA after two crashes

U.S.
safety
regulators
have
opened
a
probe
into


Amazon-owned
robotaxi
venture
Zoox
after
two
of
its
autonomous
SUVs
braked
suddenly
and
were
rear-ended
by
motorcyclists.

The
National
Highway
Traffic
Safety
Administration
said
Monday
it
initiated
an
investigation
after
two
Toyota
Highlanders
equipped
with
Zoox’s
automated
self-driving
braked
unexpectedly.
In
both
cases,
motorcyclists
collided
with
the
Zoox
vehicles,
which
led
to
minor
injuries.

NHTSA
said
it
confirmed
that
each
Zoox
car
had
been
operating
in
autonomous
mode
when
the
incidents
occurred.
Both
collisions
took
place
during
the
daytime
and
within
the
operational
design
limits
of
Zoox’s
autonomous
system.

The
agency’s
probe
covers
about
500
vehicles
and
focuses
on
the
performance
of
Zoox’s
automated
driving
system,
specifically
how
it
behaves
near
crosswalks
and “in
other
similar
rear-end
collision
scenarios.”

A
Zoox
spokesperson
told
CNBC
in
a
statement
that
the
company
is
reviewing
the
request
for
information
from
NHTSA,
and
declined
to
share
further
details
about
the
incidents.

“Transparency
and
collaboration
with
regulators
is
of
the
utmost
importance,
and
we
remain
committed
to
working
closely
with
NHTSA
to
answer
their
questions,”
the
spokesperson
added. 

Amazon

acquired
Zoox
for
a
reported
$1.2
billion
in
2020.
Zoox,
which
has
largely
continued
to
operate
as
a
standalone
unit
within
Amazon,

has
been
developing
an
electric,
fully
driverless
vehicle
designed
for
ride-hailing.
Zoox
has
been
testing
its
robotaxis
in
Las
Vegas,
Nevada,
and
Foster
City,
California.
In
March,
the
company

said
it
was
expanding
its
operating
routes
in
those
areas
to
include
a
larger
area,
faster
speeds,
nighttime
driving
and
light
rain
conditions.

This
latest
news
marks
at
least
the
second
probe
into
Zoox
by
the
NHTSA.
In
March
2023,
the
agency

said
it
would
investigate
Zoox’s
2022
self-certification
that
its
robotaxi
met
federal
safety
standards.