U.S. opens probe into Amazon's Zoox robotaxi self-certification

WASHINGTON, March 6 (Reuters) - A U.S. auto safety regulator said on Monday it is opening a probe into the self-certification by Zoox, Amazon Inc's (AMZN.O) self-driving vehicle unit, in 2022 of a robotaxi without traditional driving controls. In September the NHTSA had directed Zoox to answer questions about its basis for certifying its vehicle, and that review is ongoing. Zoox general counsel Christopher Nalevanko said in a statement that the company's self-certification tests "have met or exceeded applicable (federal) performance requirements. We are committed to working closely with NHTSA on the questions they have, and we remain confident in our self-certification process and data." Online retailer Amazon, which has been aggressively expanding into self-driving technology, bought Zoox for $1.3 billion in 2020.