Zoox's robotaxis face more problems: they are unable to stay in their lane

Trust in robotaxis is not exactly going through its best moment. Few people get into these autonomous vehicles without some degree of caution, and certainly fewer do so with no concern at all. And it is no wonder, since Zoox’s robotaxis have suffered several problems over the past few months.

Zoox’s robotaxis, which are operated by Amazon, have experienced a problem that put both the vehicles and their occupants at risk. Apparently, it was detected that one of them had crossed the centre line of the street and stopped for a moment in the opposite lane, endangering both the robotaxi itself and the vehicles approaching in the opposite lane.

This situation led to an investigation, in which more similar incidents were identified. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) therefore stated that “Under certain circumstances, Zoox vehicles crossed the lane line unnecessarily at or near intersections“. On other occasions, they stopped in the opposite lane and created risky situations.

In total, 62 incidents were recorded between 26 August and 5 December. The company released a software update on 7 November aimed at eliminating this problem, but it resolved only a few of the incidents.

As a result, 332 Zoox robotaxi units have been recalled, although a new update has been released that may considerably reduce the number of incidents. Apparently, the causes behind these problems are related to badly parked cars, unexpected route changes and failed attempts to avoid blocking traffic at intersections.

For now, since 19 December, Zoox vehicles have received new software that partly corrects these problems, although they may still experience similar issues. The company will continue monitoring the vehicles, looking for new problems and trying to anticipate them.