Overview
- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has launched a formal Audit Query to evaluate Tesla’s self‑certification that the Cybercab complies with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.
- Tesla has begun limited commercial Cybercab rides in Austin in vehicles built without a steering wheel, brake pedal, or conventional driver controls, and the company says the model meets all applicable FMVSS.
- NHTSA opened the Audit Query on Monday to demand the technical data and processes Tesla relied on and to determine which FMVSS rules apply to a vehicle that lacks human takeover controls.
- Experts and regulators point out that many FMVSS rules assume human-operated controls, so the audit could force Tesla to seek exemptions, change the vehicle design, or limit wider deployment if gaps are found.
- NHTSA is also drafting eight rule changes to update standards for autonomous vehicle designs, but those rulemakings are incomplete and their timetable will shape whether driverless models can scale safely and legally.