Amazon’s self-driving taxi company, Zoox, has recalled its entire fleet of 270 vehicles after one of them was involved in a minor crash in Las Vegas on April 8. The incident occurred when a Zoox robotaxi, traveling at over 40 mph, attempted to avoid a personal vehicle that suddenly pulled out from a side street. The robotaxi’s software mistakenly predicted that the other vehicle would continue into its lane, so it slowed down and steered right to avoid it. However, the other vehicle stopped at the curb, and the robotaxi, which was still moving at a relatively high speed, was unable to stop in time and collided with it.
Software Issues
The crash was minor, and no one was injured, but Zoox took it seriously and halted its testing to investigate. The company found that its software had made an incorrect prediction, which led to the collision. As a precautionary measure, Zoox voluntarily recalled its entire fleet and updated the software to fix the issue. The update was installed on all 270 vehicles on April 16 and 17, and testing resumed shortly after.
This is not the first time Zoox has had software issues. In March, the company recalled 258 vehicles due to sudden braking problems that caused motorcycles to crash into the back of its robotaxis. While the company is still on track to launch its commercial self-driving taxi service in Las Vegas and San Francisco by 2025, the back-to-back recalls raise concerns about the reliability of its technology.
Zoox reported the recall to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on May 1, providing details about the incident and the steps it has taken to address the issue. The company’s willingness to take a proactive approach to addressing its software issues is a positive sign, but it remains to be seen how these incidents will affect its plans to launch a commercial service.
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