U.S. safety authorities have launched an investigation into Zoox, an Amazon-owned robotic taxi company, following two of its driverless SUVs abruptly braking and being struck from behind by motorcycle riders.
Following the sudden braking of two Toyota Highlanders fitted with Zoox’s autonomous self-driving braking system, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on Monday that it had opened an inquiry. Motorcycle riders and Zoox cars collided in both instances, resulting in minor injuries.
According to the NHTSA, it has verified that every Zoox vehicle was in autonomous mode at the time of the events. Both incidents happened throughout the day and inside Zoox’s autonomous system’s operating design parameters.
The investigation by the authorities involves about 500 vehicles and is centered on how Zoox’s autonomous driving system performs, particularly in regards to crosswalks and “in other similar rear-end collision scenarios.”
In a statement, a Zoox representative informed CNBC that the business is looking into the NHTSA’s request for information. They would not provide any other information on the accidents, though.
The spokesman said, “We remain committed to working closely with NHTSA to answer their questions. Transparency and collaboration with regulators is of the utmost importance.”
In 2020, Zoox was purchased by Amazon for an estimated $1.2 billion. Zoox, an Amazon subsidiary that has mostly remained independent, has been working on creating a completely autonomous electric car for ride-hailing. In Foster City, California, and Las Vegas, Nevada, Zoox has been testing their robotaxis. The company said in March that it was enlarging the region it covered, accelerating the speed limit, allowing for midnight driving, and allowing for light rain.
This recent occurrence is at least the NHTSA’s second investigation into Zoox. The agency said in March 2023 that it would look into Zoox’s self-certification in 2022 that their robotaxi complied with federal safety regulations.
