Jesse Levinson, co-founder and CTO of Zoox, announced this week at TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 that the company would soon begin rolling out purpose-built autonomous vehicles in San Francisco and Las Vegas. However, there are some questions about whether the government will allow it.
Zoox wants to use its self-driving taxis without a steering wheel or pedals, which is different from most cars on the road today. There are rules known as FMVSS that say cars need things like a steering wheel for safety.
The government organization NHTSA is in charge of making sure cars follow the safety rules. They are investigating to know if Zoox cars really meet the rules without a steering wheel. NHTSA hasn’t given Zoox permission yet. Other companies like Nuro and GM had to ask permission before they could use their own self-driving cars without steering wheels.
Zoox says their taxis do meet the rules on their own. But safety groups think Zoox should get approval from NHTSA before people can ride in them. It’s NHTSA’s job to enforce the rules and keep people safe. They have started checking companies like Waymo and Tesla more closely after some crashes.
If NHTSA finds a problem with Zoox, they might not allow their taxis to operate yet. Jesse from Zoox said they addressed NHTSA’s worries, but NHTSA will make the final decision. Only time will tell if people will soon be able to take a ride in a steering wheel-less taxi in San Francisco!
