U.S. federal safety regulators have opened an inquiry into Tesla's steering-wheel-free Cybercab robotaxi to determine whether the vehicle meets national safety requirements. The probe follows last week's public reveal of the two-seat, gold-colored coupe, which features no pedals and no side mirrors, representing a bold departure from conventional automotive design.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration disclosed in documents made public Friday that Tesla had informed the agency the Cybercab complies with all applicable standards. However, regulators now intend to scrutinize the processes and technical data underpinning that compliance conclusion. The NHTSA said it would conduct an audit evaluating the extent to which Tesla's certification work is based on the judgment that certain safety standards do not apply to the Cybercab.
On Thursday, Tesla announced that consumers in Austin, Texas could already summon the vehicle through its ride-hailing application. The innovative design may potentially conflict with federal safety rules established decades ago, which were primarily drafted with traditional motor vehicles in mind. This investigation could spark friction between the regulator and the automaker, as Tesla Motors works to transform itself from a traditional electric vehicle manufacturer into a fully autonomous vehicle enterprise.
Documents indicate Tesla has told the NHTSA it plans to gradually scale up Cybercab commercial deployment, increasing the number of vehicles in operation and expanding into new geographic territories. If the NHTSA ultimately determines the Cybercab does not meet federal safety standards, the agency could, following a series of mandatory legal procedures, order a recall to address the issues. Tesla could face significant financial penalties if it refuses to comply with such a recall order. Alternatively, regulators could conclude the vehicle is fully compliant without requiring any modifications.
Tesla has not yet responded to requests for comment, and an NHTSA spokesperson likewise did not immediately provide a statement. This investigation reflects the broader challenges facing regulatory bodies as more companies introduce vehicles that remove traditional manual controls like steering wheels and brake pedals. In the United States, automakers generally do not require prior NHTSA approval before producing new vehicles. Instead, a self-certification model is used, whereby manufacturers attest that their vehicles satisfy all relevant safety regulations. However, these rules were drafted decades ago and were not designed with entirely new vehicle forms like the Cybercab in mind.
Under the self-certification system, the NHTSA often cannot determine whether a vehicle adheres to all regulations until after it has already begun operating on public roads. The agency has proposed new rules that would eliminate the mandate for self-driving vehicles to include manual pedals, aiming to accelerate the deployment of autonomous technology. But those rules have not yet taken effect. Regulators have previously taken action against other companies claiming their vehicles without steering wheels or pedals met federal safety standards. In 2022, Amazon's Zoox completed self-certification asserting that its driverless robotaxi satisfied NHTSA safety requirements. Regulators pushed back and ultimately found that certain safety standards were not met by the Zoox vehicle. In July of this year, in response to a petition from Zoox, the NHTSA approved the company's paid commercial operations, but with restrictions prohibiting operation in heavy rain, snowfall, or on roads with speed limits exceeding 45 miles per hour.
Unlike Zoox, Tesla has not submitted a similar exemption request to the NHTSA. The company has indicated that it plans to sell the Cybercab directly to everyday consumers in the future, with a projected starting price below $30,000. Tesla has already established manufacturing capacity exceeding 125,000 Cybercab units per year. As of Thursday, the company had registered 45 Cybercabs in Texas for its autonomous ride-hailing operations, bringing the state's total robotaxi fleet to 420 vehicles when combined with the autonomous version of the Model Y.
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