Skip to navigationSkip to main contentSkip to right columnADVERTISEMENTKirsten KorosecSun, August 9, 2026 at 6:05 PM GMT+2 8 min readWelcome back to TechCrunch Mobility, your hub for the future of transportation and now, more than ever, the role AI is playing in it. To get this in your inbox, sign up here for free — just click TechCrunch Mobility!In just a few days, Amazon-owned Zoox will start charging for robotaxi rides. This might not seem like a big deal; the company's custom-built robotaxis are already giving rides to passengers in Las Vegas and San Francisco, after all. And it's opening up an early rider program in Miami and Austin too. None of this matters — in a business sense — until the company can operate commercially. And now it can, starting August 10, thanks to an exemption issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Because Zoox vehicles lack many of the traditional controls required under federal law, such as a steering wheel and pedals, it needed an exemption from federal motor vehicle standards in order to operate. It had an exemption that allowed it to demonstrate the technology; this one allows Zoox to operate a fleet of up to 2,500 vehicles commercially for two years. The exemption is a win for Zoox, but it also paves the way for any other autonomous vehicle developer that wants to launch a robotaxi that lacks a steering wheel, pedals, or other requirements that might not be needed in a vehicle with no human driver. For instance, a robotaxi really doesn't need a rearview mirror; it already achieves that kind of visibility with sensors on the exterior of the vehicle. Tesla is the obvious beneficiary here since it is developing its two-seater Cybercab. But there will be others as well.In other news, you might have missed my comprehensive assessment of