The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has granted Amazon's Zoox the first commercial exemption for a robotaxi without a steering wheel or traditional manual controls. This approval allows Zoox to charge for rides in its boxy, tram-like vehicles.

The exemption permits deployment of up to 2,500 vehicles annually over two years under an "enhanced, adaptable oversight structure." It comes through a new 2025 exemption pathway for domestic manufacturers developing autonomous vehicles without manual controls, as the agency aims to "accelerate American automated vehicle innovation."

Zoox will launch paid rides in Las Vegas next month, where it debuted service in 2025. The company is also working with regulators in Nevada and California, where it tests in San Francisco, though no timeline for paid rides there was given. With the two-year exemption, Zoox plans to expand to Dallas, Phoenix, Austin, Miami, and other U.S. cities.