- Amazon’s Zoox voluntarily recalled 105 of its robotaxis to address a software issue where the vehicles failed to detect heavy smoke and drove into it.
- Last month, an unoccupied Zoox robotaxi drove into an active emergency fire scene in Las Vegas that was clouded with smoke, the company said.
- The recall comes after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration called on autonomous vehicle developers to address issues involving first responders.
A Zoox autonomous robotaxi in San Francisco, California, US, on Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024.
David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Amazon-owned Zoox recalled software in 105 of its robotaxis over concerns its vehicles failed to detect heavy smoke and drove into it
Zoox notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of the recall on July 8 and said it became aware of the smoke detection issue following an incident last month
On June 20, an unoccupied Zoox robotaxi encountered heavy smoke that obscured an active emergency fire scene that was not cordoned off with cones, the company wrote in its report. The vehicle entered the scene, then braked hard while attempting to steer away before coming to a stop, Zoox said
The company said the incident took place in Las Vegas
A Zoox teleguidance employee instructed the vehicle to reverse, then first responders placed traffic cones to block off the scene, according to the report
Zoox said it investigated the incident and determined it’s “the only event of this kind” that has occurred. No injuries were identified
Amazon acquired Zoox for $1.3 billion in 2020. The company operates driverless buggies that have no steering wheel or pedals, and feature four carriage-style seats that face inward, giving them a shuttle-like atmosphere
Zoox currently offers free rides in parts of Las Vegas and San Francisco, and it’s allowing select users to hail its robotaxis in small zones in Miami and Austin, Texas. Testing is also underway in six other U.S. cities
The voluntary recall comes after NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison last week issued a directive to autonomous vehicle developers to ensure their vehicles get out of the way of first responders
Morrison said in the letter that the agency has “identified a clear pattern of driverless AVs interfering with law enforcement and other first responders,” citing incidents where AVs drove into active emergency scenes, blocked the paths of ambulances or firefighters, or failed to recognize or respond to flashing lights, flares, smoke, fire and traffic cones
He called on AV developers and operators “to immediately focus their regency by the end of the month. The letter doesn’t name specific AV companies
Zoox issued several software recalls last year to address issues over lane crossings, as well as its ability to predict the movement of other vehicles and pedestrians
The company is racing to catch up to Alphabet’s Waymo, which is the dominant robotaxi service in the U.S., with a fleet of about 4,000 automated vehicles in the country
Last month, Waymo recalled about 3,900 robotaxis after some of its vehicles drove into closed construction zones on freeways, increasing “the risk of a crash.”
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