Tesla's Cybercab launch catches the eye of US auto safety regulator
The NHTSA has launched an audit into Tesla's self-certification process for its new steering-wheel-less Cybercabs in Austin. While the investigation does not halt operations, it questions whether the vehicle meets federal safety standards that require traditional human controls.
Why it matters
This investigation tests the boundaries of autonomous vehicle regulation and the industry's practice of self-certifying compliance with federal safety laws.
Shortly after Tesla launched its Cybercabs to customers on Thursday, NHTSA announced an investigation. Tesla Tesla's Cybercab robotaxis launched in Austin on Thursday. The company is already facing an NHTSA probe. The US auto safety agency is looking into Tesla's self-certification of its autonomous, steering-wheel-less car. It doesn't mean the Cybercabs are stopping or unsafe. Federal rules just might not have caught up. Tesla's Cybercab is live in Austin. Now, regulators in Washington are asking to check the EV-maker's homework. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or NHTSA, opened an audit inquiry late Thursday into Tesla's Cybercab certification. The move came hours after Tesla's commercial deployment of a small number of Cybercabs in Austin, which joined its robotaxi network. Texas DMV records list 45 Cybercabs registered to Tesla. The vehicle has yet to be made available to purchase to consumers.
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