The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has granted Nuro’s request for a temporary exemption from some low-speed vehicle standard requirements, so the company can test its electric driverless delivery vehicle, the “R2.”

This exemption marks the first time the U.S. government has approved a company’s request to deploy a vehicle that does not meet the standards for cars and trucks operated by humans.

Unlike a conventional low-speed vehicle, the R2 is designed to have no human occupant and operates exclusively using an automated driving system.

“Since this is a low-speed self-driving delivery vehicle, certain features that the Department traditionally required—such as mirrors and a windshield for vehicles carrying drivers—no longer make sense,” said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao.

Nuro will be permitted to produce and deploy no more than 5,000 R2 vehicles during the two-year exemption period, and NHTSA will closely monitor Nuro’s operations during and after that time. Nuro intends to operate these vehicles as part of a local delivery service for restaurants, grocery stores, and other businesses.

The AMA opposes the use of public roadways for testing driverless vehicles because it increases the risk to motorcyclists and other vulnerable road users.