Amazon’s self-driving car startup Zoox has issued a recall of 270 Robotaxis after one of its vehicles was involved in a crash in Las Vegas last month, the company said Tuesday.
This issue is attributed to a defect in the vehicle’s automated driving system. According to a report submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on May 1, the software could incorrectly predict how another vehicle is working.
That was exactly what happened on April 8th, when an unavailable Zoox Robotaxi collided with another car in Las Vegas. Thankfully, no one was hurt and both vehicles lasted only minor damage.
“After analysis and rigorous testing, Zoox has identified the root cause,” the company said in a blog post. “We have issued software updates implemented on all Zoox vehicles. Every Zoox vehicle today has updated software, including Robotaxi and Test Fleet, built for purpose.”
The company suspended unmanned operations to investigate the incident, but then reopened services after applying modifications.
Founded in 2014 by Tim Kentley-Klay and Dr. Jesse Levinson, Amazon bought Zoox for over $1 billion in 2020 and pushed it into the Robotaxi space. But things aren’t moving as fast as planned. Zoox is lagging behind competitors like Alphabet’s Waymo, which already operates in multiple US cities. Meanwhile, Tesla says it plans to launch its own Robotaxi in Austin this June, but previously missed its launch target.
Zoox set industry standards by first introducing its dedicated Robotaxi, which can operate up to 75 mph. Since its founding in 2014, Zoox has been reinventing personal transport with the aim of a safer, cleaner, more enjoyable future by integrating artificial intelligence, robotics, vehicle design and sustainable energy.
Zoox is currently testing the vehicle in Las Vegas, California and Foster City, and in Los Angeles, they have begun limited testing using a small fleet of retrofit cars.
This is not the first time Zoox has landed on the NHTSA radar. The agency recently concluded its investigation into two previous crashes, including the Toyota Highlanders, which operates Zoox technology. In both cases, the vehicle was suddenly braked and surrounded by motorcyclists in the rear. Minor injuries were reported.
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