Safety
Zoox recalled the software in its fleet of 105 robotaxis after one, with no one aboard, got confused by heavy smoke at a fire scene on 20 June 2026 and braked hard; a remote teleoperator then reversed it away. TechCrunch notes earlier recalls in March and May 2025, including one for a hard-braking problem NHTSA had been investigating since 2024.
A crash, recall, injury or investigation
What the source says
“encountered heavy smoke that obscured an active emergency fire scene that was not cordoned off with cones.”
What it means
Zoox robotaxi, from Zoox (Amazon), is at stage 5 of 5 on our ladder: regulator-cleared or mass market. Safety events don't move a stage on their own, but they stay on the robot's record.
Human help: People working remotely can steer it or take over.
More on Zoox robotaxi
- Zoox added paid rides to and from Las Vegas's Harry Reid International Airport.
- Zoox began charging for rides in Las Vegas, the start of its commercial service. In San Francisco and Austin it has to keep rides free for now.
- NHTSA, the US road-safety agency, gave Zoox a temporary exemption from eight federal vehicle safety standards written for cars with drivers. It allows up to 2,500 Zoox robotaxis a year for two years, so Zoox can charge fares.
- Zoox, bought by Amazon earlier in 2020, showed its electric robotaxi: a box-shaped vehicle with no steering wheel that carries four people at up to 75 mph.