Overview
- Tesla began limited paid Cybercab rides in a geofenced Austin service after a public reveal on Sept. 3 and the two‑seat vehicle runs without a steering wheel, brake or accelerator pedals.
- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration launched an Audit Query that covers about 1,000 Cybercabs and will examine the technical evidence and processes Tesla used to claim compliance with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.
- Tesla told regulators it self‑certified the Cybercab as meeting applicable FMVSS and did not seek the special exemption that companies like Zoox used for steering‑wheel‑free vehicles.
- If NHTSA finds the Cybercab does not meet current standards the agency could require fixes, impose deployment limits or order recalls, a result that would slow Tesla’s expansion plans and raise costs.
- The probe highlights a wider problem: many FMVSS assume human controls and NHTSA is still drafting rule changes, so the audit’s outcome could set a legal precedent that affects how other robotaxi makers build and deploy purpose‑built AVs.