Amazon's Zoox Gets Approval to Deploy Robotaxis

By Robb M. Stewart

Amazon.com's Zoox has the go-ahead to deploy robotaxis commercially in the U.S. as part of a Trump administration effort to cut red tape to fast-track the roll-out of automated vehicles.

The Transportation Department's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Thursday it will allow Zoox to deploy up to 2,500 vehicles annually for two years through a temporary exemption.

The decision is subject to an enhanced, adaptable oversight structure that can evolve as Zoox's technology advances, the government agency said.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has also directed the NHTSA to publish an interim final rule that will allow vehicles manufactured before an exemption to be eligible for a commercial-deployment exemption. The NHTSA said the rule will modernize the application process and improve access to exemptions for innovators, including automated-vehicle developers, by granting the administrator the discretion to apply temporary exemptions to vehicles manufactured prior to the effective date of an exemption grant.

The NHTSA additionally is updating its technical guidance for automated vehicles for the first time since 2017, focusing on safety areas such as emergency-responder interactions, safety-management systems, remote assistance, and post-crash behavior that it said will help the industry scale up driverless deployments safely.

Amazon shares were up 3.8% to $235.23 in morning trading.

Write to Robb M. Stewart at robb.stewart@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

July 30, 2026 10:04 ET (14:04 GMT)