Zoox and Uber have announced a partnership that will allow riders in Las Vegas to hail Zoox robotaxis through the Uber app later this year. The plan depends on federal approval for Zoox’s autonomous vehicles, which lack steering wheels and pedals.
The two companies described the agreement as a multi-year strategic partnership aimed at integrating Zoox’s autonomous vehicles into Uber’s ride-hailing network.
Regulatory Approval Required Before Commercial Deployment
Before launching the service, Zoox must receive authorization from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to commercially deploy its robotaxis.
The company has applied for exemptions from the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. These standards typically require features such as steering wheels, pedals, windshield defrosters, and windshield wipers.
On Wednesday, the NHTSA opened a 30-day public comment period on Zoox’s exemption request.
Zoox currently operates its custom-built vehicles under a limited exemption that allows demonstrations but not commercial service.
Current Testing And Expansion Plans
Zoox currently offers free robotaxi rides in Las Vegas and San Francisco as part of testing programs.
The company is also expanding operations to additional US cities. Earlier this week Zoox announced mapping and deployment activities in Dallas and Phoenix as part of a broader effort that covers eight cities.
If the federal government approves its exemption request, Zoox plans to launch its own commercial robotaxi service first before making its vehicles available through Uber in Las Vegas.
The partnership also includes plans to introduce Zoox robotaxis on Uber’s platform in Los Angeles by 2027.
Uber’s Broader Autonomous Vehicle Partnerships
The agreement represents Zoox’s first partnership with a third-party ride-hailing platform.
Uber already works with more than 25 autonomous vehicle companies globally. One of its most prominent collaborations is with Waymo, whose robotaxis are available on the Uber platform in Austin and Atlanta.
The ride-hailing company has also partnered with Baidu to test self-driving vehicles and plans to begin testing those vehicles in London this year.
Additional partnerships include collaborations with Volkswagen, May Mobility, and Pony.ai.
New Uber Divisions Supporting Autonomous Vehicles
Uber has also expanded internal teams to support autonomous vehicle partners.
In January, the company established a unit called AV Labs focused on collecting real-world driving data to support the development of self-driving systems.
Last month, Uber introduced another unit known as Uber Autonomous Solutions. The group provides operational, software, and support services for companies deploying autonomous vehicles on the platform.
Regulatory Debate Around Autonomous Vehicles
During a hearing on autonomous vehicle safety held Tuesday, Jonathan Morrison said regulators are working toward clearer oversight for the industry.
“We think it’s past time to get past the hand-waving and hype,” Morrison said. “We 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.”
He added that developing a regulatory framework for self-driving vehicles would require significant effort but that the agency is working with urgency to advance the process.
Featured image credits: Wikimedia Commons
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