Zoox grounded its Atlanta test fleet after repeated incidents of workers reporting symptoms consistent with toxic gas exposure, including vomiting and strange smells, according to a TechCrunch report. Contractor Jay Davis, who filed an OSHA complaint, told TechCrunch that after he and colleagues became sick, they were put back in the field in a different car that may also have had toxic gases. 'They made us go right back in the field after we said we were throwing up,' Davis said.
Zoox told OSHA in a September 10 letter that it examined test vehicles for signs of CO₂ and replaced their 12-volt batteries, as damaged batteries can produce hydrogen sulfide — a gas with a 'rotten egg' smell that workers reported. Zoox identified 28 employees who rode in six vehicles with an 'unexplained odor,' with 10 workers voluntarily undergoing medical evaluation. The company said the only gas detected was CO₂, and that purpose-built electric robotaxis are not affected.
OSHA opened an inquiry after Davis's complaint but has since closed it. Zoox has consulted an outside medical expert and is adding CO₂ monitors to vehicles. The incident comes as Zoox expands into new cities, and follows previous reports of contractors suffering injuries from sudden braking and swerving in test vehicles.