Zoox has quietly grounded the Toyota Highlander test fleet it uses to map its Atlanta service before launching its purpose-built robotaxi, after safety drivers reported vomiting, lightheadedness and general illness following rides earlier this year, according to a Sept. 23 TechCrunch investigation.
An OSHA Complaint And 28 Workers Identified
Contractor Jay Davis filed a formal complaint with the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration alleging he and colleagues had been sickened while driving Zoox's modified petrol Highlanders. OSHA's follow-up letter suggests as many as 40 workers may have been exposed; Zoox itself identified 28 employees who had ridden in the six vehicles now flagged, and says ten of them accepted voluntary medical evaluations.
Zoox has confirmed carbon dioxide build-up as one root cause, and testing has not ruled out carbon monoxide or hydrogen sulfide. The company says it has already replaced 12-volt batteries in the fleet, tested exhaust systems and is preparing to install in-cabin CO2 monitors on every unit before the Highlanders return to service.
The Highlanders Are Not The Robotaxis
The grounded vehicles are not Zoox's high-profile driverless pods, which are electric, but the fleet of Toyota Highlanders Zoox uses to build maps and validate driving behaviours in each new city before the purpose-built robotaxi arrives. Any prolonged pause on Highlanders therefore delays commercial launch preparations in Atlanta, on top of the safety-culture questions the OSHA case will raise.
Third Autonomous Safety Story In A Week
The grounding is the third autonomous-vehicle safety incident in a week. Waymo is pushing hard into Tokyo and now offering rides to teenagers in Nashville, while Tesla's Semi is finally shipping. Regulators, from NHTSA's Comma investigation to Atlanta's OSHA inquiry, are increasingly the pinch-point for what has been an otherwise breathless expansion phase.
Reporting based on coverage from TechCrunch and Runtime Wire.