Tesla Cybercab Faces NHTSA Probe Shortly After Launch
Just hours after Tesla began carrying passengers in its driverless Cybercab in Austin, the U.S. safety agency opened an investigation into how the vehicle was certified for road use.
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Tesla unveiled its Cybercab service in Austin, marking the first public rollout of a vehicle that lacks a steering wheel, pedals, and rear‑view mirrors.
Despite the absence of traditional controls, the company certified the Cybercab as compliant with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and began picking up riders the same day.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced an audit focusing on Tesla’s self‑certification process, questioning how a car without driver‑operated controls could meet safety requirements.
Safety experts say the investigation could set a precedent for how regulators evaluate fully autonomous vehicles that eliminate human‑operable controls.
Tesla has stated it will cooperate with the probe and maintains that its safety validation exceeds existing standards, though the outcome may influence future AV deployments nationwide.
