's robotaxi service , Zoox, has recalled 258 autonomous vehicles due to problems with its automated driving system (ADS), which could cause unexpected hard braking and, by extension, an accident.
The recall affects vehicles equipped with versions of the ADS software released before November 5. Zoox filed a report with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration last week, notifying it of the issue.
See also: Tesla: Robotaxi service with fully autonomous vehicles in Texas
The robotaxi company said it has addressed the issue by releasing an update to the ADS software in the affected vehicles.
The Amazon subsidiary hasn't publicly disclosed how many Zoox vehicles are on the road, but it has ramped up testing over the past year. Last June, the company announced plans to begin testing self-driving vehicles in two new cities.
Autonomous vehicle companies, such as Zoox, Cruise (owned by General Motors), and Waymo (owned by Google), are under scrutiny after an incident in 2023 where a pedestrian was seriously injured by a Cruise vehicle.
Last year, Waymo recalled more than 670 self-driving vehicles after one of its vehicles hit a wooden pole in Phoenix, Arizona.
See also: 100 car dealerships hit by supply chain attack
As for Zoox itself, it came under investigation by the U.S. Highway Safety Agency in May last year after two of its vehicles suddenly braked and collided with motorcyclists . Both accidents occurred during the day and the motorcyclists suffered minor injuries. It is understood that Amazon's vehicles were operating in autonomous mode before the accidents occurred.
Amazon acquired Zoox in June 2020. In 2023, the company said one of its funky, four-person buses autonomously shuttled employees on public roads between two Zoox buildings (a distance of 1.6 kilometers). The company later planned to launch a shuttle service exclusively for its employees.
See also: Subaru Starlink vulnerability exposed cars to hacking
Zoox vehicles have no steering wheel or pedals. They are just under 3.7 meters long and can travel at up to 56 km/h. The interior of the vehicle has two benches facing each other.
Source: money.usnews.com
