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Amazon’s robotaxi company Zoox (AMZN-2.87%) issued a voluntary software recall following a crash in Las Vegas.
Zoox said in a post on Tuesday that it made the decision after an incident where one of its unoccupied robotaxis hit a passenger vehicle in Las Vegas, Nevada. “No injuries were reported, and only minor damage occurred to both vehicles,” the company said.
The collision “involved a passenger car quickly approaching the lane where our purpose-built robotaxi was traveling,” the company said. “Anticipating that the passenger car would proceed forward, the Zoox robotaxi slowed down and steered to the right. Instead, the car came to a stop, fully yielding to the Zoox robotaxi and remaining in the shoulder lane.” Zoox added that its robotaxi “braked hard,” but claimed the crash was ultimately “unavoidable.”
Following the incident, the company paused all driverless vehicle operations. It said it “identified the root cause” of the incident and issued a software update accordingly.
Zoox told Quartz, “All Zoox vehicles on the road today, including our purpose-built robotaxi and test fleet, have the updated software.”
Amazon acquired Zoox in 2020 for $1.2 billion. The company, which was founded in 2014, currently operates in Las Vegas and plans to expand to San Francisco, Austin, and Miami. While the driverless taxi space grows more crowded, Zoox is known for its signature carriage-like vehicles, which look more like gondola cabins on wheels than cars. Unlike Alphabet-owned Waymo (GOOGL-1.57%), which ferries passengers in traditional cars outfitted for driverless riding, Zoox’s taxis have no steering wheels, pedals, or driver’s seats.
Amazon did not immediately return a request for comment Tuesday.