Zoox recalls self-driving cars because they may not detect smoke

Zoox is recalling its self-driving vehicles because they may fail to detect heavy smoke and could disrupt emergency response operations. The Amazon.com unit said Friday it will recall its fleet of 105 autonomous vehicles, citing an incident on June 20 when an unoccupied Zoox car encountered heavy smoke that obscured an active emergency fire scene. Under teleguidance, the vehicle entered the area, braked hard, attempted to steer away, then stopped; first responders later placed cones blocking two of three lanes. Zoox stated a software update improves existing capabilities for detecting and responding to heavy smoke. The move follows warnings from U.S. auto safety officials, including NHTSA documenting patterns of robotaxis interfering with law enforcement and first responders. NHTSA plans meetings with developers by end of the month to solicit solutions, while separate investigations also involve Waymo incidents.