The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has initiated an investigation into Tesla's new Cybercab, a two-seater gold coupe without pedals or mirrors, to determine its compliance with federal safety standards. This probe follows Tesla's commercial deployment of the Cybercab in Austin, Texas, where customers can book rides through its Robotaxi app.
The NHTSA's inquiry focuses on whether Tesla properly self-certified the autonomous Cybercab robotaxi and if the company relied on temporarily installed human driver controls or other equipment for its certification. The agency is demanding answers from Tesla by September 30, with penalties of up to $139 million for failing to respond fully and truthfully. This legal demand, a Special Order signed by NHTSA Chief Counsel Peter Simshauser, includes 21 detailed requests addressed to Tesla's head of litigation and associate general counsel for regulatory affairs.
Key concerns include how a vehicle without a steering wheel, brake pedal, or mirrors can comply with existing Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS), many of which assume a human driver. Specifically, the NHTSA highlights FMVSS No. 135, which states that "The service brakes shall be activated by means of a foot control," a feature absent in the Cybercab. The agency also questions if Tesla certified the vehicle with temporary controls installed and then removed them, potentially violating the Safety Act's "make inoperative" prohibition.
While the NHTSA supports the development of automated vehicles and has proposed changes to existing regulations, including ending the requirement for manual brake pedals in self-driving vehicles, these changes have not yet been finalized. Therefore, current standards remain in force. The agency's message to Tesla is clear: the desire for rules to change does not equate to the rules having changed. The investigation will assess Tesla's technical data and processes for self-certifying compliance for a vehicle lacking traditional human controls.
