Zoox Seeks Federal Exemptions as It Prepares Uber Robotaxi Launch in Las Vegas

New updates have been reported about Zoox.

Zoox is moving toward commercial deployment of its steering-wheel-free robotaxis, seeking key U.S. safety exemptions as it readies a Las Vegas launch on Uber’s app later this year. The Amazon-owned company has applied to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for exemptions from eight Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, a prerequisite to operating its custom vehicles commercially rather than under current demonstration-only approvals.

Once federal clearance is secured, Zoox intends to roll out its own paid robotaxi service first before allowing customers to hail its vehicles through Uber in Las Vegas, with the partnership described as a multi-year strategic deal that also targets a Los Angeles launch in 2027. The company already runs free rides in Las Vegas and San Francisco, while mapping and expanding into eight additional U.S. cities such as Dallas and Phoenix, signaling a broader geographic build-out contingent on regulatory progress and positioning Zoox as a core autonomous supplier within Uber’s growing robotaxi ecosystem.