Zoox Recalls 105 Robotaxis After Smoke Detection Failure Sent Vehicle Into Las Vegas Fire Scene
Updated
Updated · CNBC · Jul 17
Zoox Recalls 105 Robotaxis After Smoke Detection Failure Sent Vehicle Into Las Vegas Fire Scene
3 articles · Updated · CNBC · Jul 17
Summary
Zoox told NHTSA it recalled software in 105 robotaxis after a June 20 incident in Las Vegas, where an unoccupied vehicle entered heavy smoke at an active fire scene and then braked hard while trying to steer away.
Heavy smoke obscured the emergency scene, which Zoox said was not yet blocked off with cones; a teleguidance employee then instructed the robotaxi to reverse, and no injuries were reported.
The voluntary recall was disclosed days after NHTSA chief Jonathan Morrison ordered autonomous-vehicle developers to fix a “clear pattern” of driverless cars interfering with first responders and report solutions by month-end.
Zoox, bought by Amazon for $1.3 billion in 2020, is expanding service in Las Vegas, San Francisco, Miami and Austin while trying to catch Waymo, whose roughly 4,000 U.S. robotaxis dominate the market.