Amazon's Zoox has received clearance from the NHTSA and will launch a paid autonomous ride-hailing service in Las Vegas

Amazon's autonomous driving company Zoox received a temporary exemption permit from U.S. regulators on Thursday, paving the way for its paid autonomous taxi service.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) stated in a notice that this exemption allows Zoox to deploy up to 2,500 vehicles over two years, exempting it from certain regulations while "providing a robust and flexible regulatory framework that can be adjusted as Zoox's technology evolves."

Zoox CEO Aicha Evans stated in a statement that this permit is an "important milestone" for the company and the entire autonomous driving industry.

"We are honored to be the first native custom autonomous taxi company to receive a commercial exemption from the NHTSA. This permit allows us to initiate paid operations and take another step towards launching autonomous ride-hailing services in more communities," Evans said.

A Zoox spokesperson revealed that the company will launch its paid ride service next month in Las Vegas; it will also expand to other markets after meeting the commercialization regulatory requirements of various states.

Last August, the NHTSA granted Zoox an exemption allowing it to conduct autonomous taxi demonstration operations on public roads, but at that time, charging for rides was not permitted. Since then, Zoox has expanded its testing range in the U.S. and opened free driverless ride experiences to the public in parts of San Francisco and Las Vegas.

Compared to its competitors, Zoox faces a more challenging path to commercializing autonomous taxis. Alphabet's Waymo uses modified vehicles that retain steering wheels and braking systems; Zoox, on the other hand, employs a driverless shuttle that resembles a toaster and lacks traditional driving controls, meaning the company must comply with a different set of federal motor vehicle safety standards.

The NHTSA recently proposed amendments to relevant standards, eliminating the rigid requirement that autonomous vehicles must be equipped with steering wheels and manual brake pedals.

The agency also urged developers of autonomous driving technology to ensure that vehicles do not interfere with the work of emergency responders.

NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison stated in a letter earlier this month that the agency "has found a clear trend of autonomous vehicles interfering with the operations of law enforcement and other emergency responders." He cited several incidents: autonomous vehicles entering emergency scenes, blocking the paths of ambulances or firefighters, or failing to recognize warning lights, signal flares, smoke, open flames, and traffic cones, and not responding appropriately.

Following the release of this open letter, Zoox recalled 105 autonomous taxis to fix a software defect—vehicles were unable to effectively recognize dense smoke and drove into smoke-filled areas. The company confirmed that last month, one of its autonomous vehicles entered an active fire scene in Las Vegas