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Zoox recalls software on 105 robotaxis after smoke incident
Zoox is updating 105 robotaxis after one struggled near dense wildfire smoke. The case adds pressure as US regulators scrutinize emergency-scene behavior.
Image: ITzine
Zoox has issued a software recall for 105 robotaxis after one of its vehicles failed to safely navigate a stretch of road filled with dense smoke from a fire.
According to the company’s report, the incident happened on June 20 when a Zoox vehicle approached a smoke-covered area before firefighters had fully blocked the lane with cones. The robotaxi braked hard, then tried to move aside, and ultimately stopped. A remote support operator then intervened: the vehicle reversed, and crews later placed cones and closed two of the three open lanes.
Zoox says this is the only known case in which one of its vehicles encountered this exact scenario. The company is now rolling out an update intended to better detect dense smoke and respond more calmly.
NHTSA focus on emergency scenes
The episode lands as the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration increases pressure on autonomous vehicle developers over emergency conditions. In July, the agency sent letters to autonomous vehicle manufacturers demanding better performance in emergency scenarios and said it planned to meet with them before the end of the month.
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In that letter, NHTSA chief Jonathan Morrison described the inability to recognize and handle such situations as a functional deficiency, not a rare edge case.
That distinction matters. Robotaxi companies often showcase controlled testing on orderly streets, but real roads bring smoke, fire trucks, closed lanes, and unpredictable drivers. In those moments, the expectation is not just that a vehicle stops safely, but that it also does not interfere with first responders.
For Zoox, this is also the second software recall in months. In May 2025, the company updated software after one of its fleet vehicles collided with a passenger car in Las Vegas.
Expansion plans continue
The issue comes as Zoox is still in growth mode. In March, the company unveiled an updated robotaxi and said it planned to expand its service area in Las Vegas and San Francisco, while testing software in new cities.
The recall does not amount to a halt, but it does underline a broader problem for the robotaxi sector: scaling service depends less on polished demos than on handling long chains of rare, hazardous scenarios. Waymo, widely seen as one of the most advanced robotaxi players in the US, is also building testing around unusual road conditions as it expands to more cities and routes.
If regulators tighten their assessment of how autonomous vehicles respond to crashes and fires, scenes like this could become a core requirement for broader deployment.
Frontier Editor
Dan is our resident futurist, covering electric mobility, space exploration, and the smart home. He's interested in atoms just as much as bits. Whether it's a new battery chemistry, a reusable rocket, or a protocol that finally makes IoT devices talk to each other, Dan breaks down the engineering that pushes humanity forward.
via ITzine
