Zoox has stopped operating its Atlanta test vehicles after workers reported symptoms and unusual odors in the cars in August; the gases involved remain unclear. OSHA opened an inquiry after a worker complaint and has since closed it. Zoox's all-electric robotaxis are unaffected.
An OSHA letter viewed by TechCrunch said as many as 40 workers may have been exposed, though Zoox said the number was lower. Zoox identified 28 employees who rode in six cars with unexplained odors; 10 voluntarily underwent medical evaluation, and the company said it received one medical report identifying CO2.
Zoox said it had not identified carbon monoxide and that the only gas detected in affected vehicles was CO2; it replaced 12-volt batteries and plans to add CO2 monitors. Contractor Jay Davis said his crew was sent back out in another car after a co-worker vomited and others felt lightheaded on Aug. 14, with symptoms recurring later that day.
