Amazon's self-driving robotaxi unit Zoox under investigation by US after 2 rear-end crashes

The bureau said the probe volition absorption connected the show of the company's automated driving strategy during the crashes.

DETROIT -- Amazon's self-driving robotaxi portion is being investigated by the U.S. government's road information bureau aft 2 of its vehicles braked abruptly and were rear-ended by motorcyclists.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said successful documents posted connected its website Monday it volition measure the automated driving strategy developed by Zoox.

Both crashes progressive Toyota Highlander SUVs with autonomous driving technology. They happened during daytime hours, and the bureau confirmed that each of the Amazon vehicles was operating successful autonomous mode starring up to the crashes. In 1 clang a motorcyclist suffered insignificant injuries, and a Zoox operator reported insignificant injuries successful the other, according to reports. Both happened past month, 1 successful San Francisco and the different successful Spring Valley, Nevada.

The bureau said the probe volition absorption connected the show of the company's automated driving strategy during the crashes, arsenic good arsenic however it behaves successful crosswalks astir pedestrians and different susceptible roadworthy users.

In a statement, Zoox said it is committed to moving with NHTSA to reply its questions. "Transparency and collaboration with regulators is of utmost importance," the institution said. Zoox said the vehicles had quality information drivers connected board.

Zoox reported the crashes nether an bid to automated conveyance companies issued successful 2021.

Amazon acquired Zoox successful June of 2020 for a terms that analysts pegged astatine implicit $1 billion. In 2023 the Foster City, California, institution said 1 of its funky-looking four-person shuttles autonomously carried employees connected nationalist roads connected a mile-long (1.6 kilometer) way betwixt 2 Zoox buildings.

The institution has launched a shuttle work exclusively for its employees. Analysts accidental they expect Amazon to usage the Zoox strategy for autonomous deliveries.

Zoox shuttles don't person a steering instrumentality oregon pedals. The carriage-style interior of the conveyance has 2 benches that look each other. It measures conscionable nether 12 feet (3.7 meters) long, astir a ft (a 3rd of a meter) shorter than a modular Mini Cooper. It is susceptible of going up to 75 mph (121 kilometers per hour), though it started moving connected nationalist roads astatine up to 35 mph, the institution said.

Zoox already was nether probe by NHTSA. In March of 2022, the bureau began looking into the company's certification that its conveyance met national information standards for centrifugal vehicles.

The bureau said astatine the clip that it would look into whether Zoox utilized its ain trial procedures to find that definite national standards weren't applicable due to the fact that of the robotaxi's unsocial configuration.