Amazon's Zoox issues software recall after robotaxi drove into heavy smoke

Amazon-owned Zoox recalled software in 105 of its robotaxis over concerns its vehicles failed to detect heavy smoke and drove into it.

Zoox notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of the recall on July 8 and said it became aware of the smoke detection issue following an incident last month.

On June 20, an unoccupied Zoox robotaxi encountered heavy smoke that obscured an active emergency fire scene that was not cordoned off with cones, the company wrote in its report. The vehicle entered the scene, then braked hard while attempting to steer away before coming to a stop, Zoox said.

The company said the incident took place in Las Vegas.

A Zoox teleguidance employee instructed the vehicle to reverse, then first responders placed traffic cones to block off the scene, according to the report.

Zoox said it investigated the incident and determined it's "the only event of this kind" that has occurred. No injuries were identified.

Amazon acquired Zoox for $1.3 billion in 2020. The company operates driverless buggies that have no steering wheel or pedals, and feature four carriage-style seats that face inward, giving them a shuttle-like atmosphere.

Zoox currently offers free rides in parts of Las Vegas and San Francisco, and it's allowing select users to hail its robotaxis in small zones in Miami and Austin, Texas. Testing is also underway in six other U.S. cities.

The voluntary recall comes after NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison last week issued a directive to autonomous vehicle developers to ensure their vehicles get out of the way of first responders.

Morrison said in the letter that the agency has "identified a clear pattern of driverless AVs interfering with law enforcement and other first responders," citing incidents where AVs drove into active emergency scenes, blocked the paths of ambulances or firefighters, or failed to recognize or respond to flashing lights, flares, smoke, fire and traffic cones.

He called on AV developers and operators "to immediately focus their resources on fixing this issue" and present their solutions to the agency by the end of the month. The letter doesn't name specific AV companies.

Zoox issued several software recalls last year to address issues over lane crossings, as well as its ability to predict the movement of other vehicles and pedestrians.

The company is racing to catch up to Alphabet's Waymo, which is the dominant robotaxi service in the U.S., with a fleet of about 4,000 automated vehicles in the country.

Last month, Waymo recalled about 3,900 robotaxis after some of its vehicles drove into closed construction zones on freeways, increasing "the risk of a crash."

WATCH: NHTSA's Morrison: AV developers need to address first responder issues