Zoox Recalls Robotaxis After Crash Involving Amazon Unit
▼ Summary
– Zoox paused its driverless testing program and issued a voluntary recall for 270 vehicles after a crash in Las Vegas involving its autonomous vehicle and a passenger car.
– The recall addressed concerns that the self-driving software could mispredict another vehicle’s movement, increasing crash risk, though no injuries occurred and damage was minor.
– Zoox halted testing on April 8, resumed operations on April 17 after a software update, and plans to launch a commercial robotaxi service in Las Vegas later this year.
– The company tests its self-driving system in custom-built robotaxis and retrofitted Toyota Highlanders in cities like Las Vegas, San Francisco, Austin, Miami, and Seattle.
– This marks Zoox’s second recall in 2024, following a March recall for 258 vehicles due to unexpected hard braking issues, and follows a 2023 NHTSA investigation into prior incidents.
Zoox, the Amazon-owned autonomous vehicle company, temporarily halted its driverless testing operations and issued a voluntary software recall following a collision in Las Vegas. The incident, which involved one of its self-driving vehicles and a passenger car, led to an internal review and subsequent software update to address potential safety concerns.
The crash occurred on April 8 when a passenger car unexpectedly entered the lane from a commercial driveway. While the Zoox robotaxi attempted to predict the other vehicle’s movement, it misjudged the situation, resulting in minor contact. No injuries were reported, and both vehicles sustained only slight damage. Zoox confirmed that its vehicle braked hard but couldn’t avoid the collision entirely.
In response, the company recalled approximately 270 vehicles equipped with the affected software version, though this number doesn’t represent its entire fleet. Testing operations were paused immediately after the incident and resumed on April 17 following a software patch. The update was submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) as part of standard regulatory compliance.
Despite the setback, Zoox remains on track to launch its commercial robotaxi service in Las Vegas later this year. The company has been conducting extensive testing in multiple cities, including San Francisco, Austin, Miami, and Seattle, using both retrofitted Toyota Highlanders and its custom-built, steering-wheel-free robotaxis. Earlier this year, select employees and media were given early access to the service as part of a controlled rollout.
This marks the second recall for Zoox in 2024. In March, the company addressed an issue causing unexpected hard braking in 258 vehicles. Additionally, NHTSA previously investigated the company after two incidents involving motorcyclists colliding with Zoox-equipped Highlanders. Both cases occurred while the vehicles were operating autonomously.
As autonomous vehicle technology advances, companies like Zoox continue refining their systems to improve safety and reliability. The latest recall underscores the challenges of perfecting self-driving algorithms in complex urban environments.
(Source: TechCrunch)
