Zoox to launch robotaxi rides on Uber app in Las Vegas this year

Amazon-owned Zoox is preparing to make its robotaxis available through the Uber app in Las Vegas later this year, according to an announcement made Wednesday by the two companies.

Before that rollout can happen, however, Zoox must secure federal approval to commercially deploy its robotaxis, which are designed without steering wheels or pedals. To do that, the company needs exemptions from the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, or FMVSS. On Wednesday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began accepting public comments on Zoox’s request for those exemptions. At present, Zoox holds an exemption that permits its custom-built robotaxis to operate only as demonstration vehicles rather than in commercial service.

If and when that federal approval is granted, Zoox said it intends to launch its own commercial robotaxi service first before later offering those vehicles through Uber in Las Vegas. The company currently provides free rides in both Las Vegas and San Francisco. It is also mapping routes and expanding its footprint in eight additional U.S. cities, including Dallas and Phoenix, both of which were announced earlier this week.

Zoox and Uber described the arrangement as a “multi-year strategic partnership,” and said it also includes plans to launch in Los Angeles in 2027.

This marks Zoox’s first partnership with an outside ride-hailing platform such as Uber. For Uber, though, it is far from the first collaboration with an autonomous vehicle company. Uber has formed partnerships with more than 25 autonomous vehicle companies globally. Its most prominent agreement is with Waymo, whose robotaxis are already available on the Uber platform in Austin and Atlanta. Uber has also teamed up with China’s Baidu and said it would begin testing those self-driving vehicles in London this year. In addition, the ride-hailing company has partnerships with Volkswagen, May Mobility, and Pony.ai on autonomous vehicles.

Uber has also been expanding the services it offers to these robotaxi partners. In January, the company launched an “AV Labs” division focused on gathering real-world driving data to help strengthen its partners’ autonomous systems. Then last month, Uber said it had created a new unit called Uber Autonomous Solutions, which can offer operational, software, and support services.

Zoox is requesting exemptions from eight FMVSS requirements, including standards mandating windshield defrosting systems and windshield wipers. NHTSA will accept public comments for 30 days, although it remains unclear when the federal safety agency will issue a final decision.

At an autonomous vehicle safety hearing held on Tuesday, NHTSA chief Jonathan Morrison suggested the agency is ready to move ahead with a more clearly defined regulatory framework for self-driving vehicles.

“We think it’s past time to get past the hand-waving and hype, and are finally doing the necessary, hard policy work to provide appropriate and robust oversight over this sector while removing unnecessary and unintended barriers to innovation that currently exist”, he said. “This will not be easy, but I firmly believe that it is within our grasp, and we at NHTSA are moving with a great sense of urgency to get it done.”