Overview
- Federal regulators have opened a formal NHTSA audit into Tesla’s claim that the Cybercab meets applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards for a vehicle without a steering wheel or pedals.
- The review is reported to cover roughly 1,000 Cybercabs and will examine the technical data and processes Tesla used to self‑certify which FMVSS rules do or do not apply.
- Tesla began limited paid Cybercab rides in Austin after a Sept. 3 launch and riders have since posted videos showing a hidden technician ‘virtual joystick,’ frozen camera feeds, a concealed charging port and no onboard AC charger.
- The Cybercab is built without traditional manual controls and relies on a camera‑only sensor approach, a design choice that raises questions about redundancy, failure modes and how rules written for driver‑operated cars apply.
- NHTSA is also drafting AV‑specific rule changes that are not yet in force, so the audit’s outcome could set a precedent that either speeds wider self‑certified robotaxi deployments or forces manufacturers to seek exemptions, accept operational limits, or make recalls and fixes.