NHTSA Launches Probe Into Tesla’s Cybercab Deployment

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has initiated an investigation into Tesla’s recent decision to deploy its Cybercab on public roadways without traditional steering wheels or pedals. The agency announced the probe on Friday, shortly after the autonomous vehicle began operating in Austin, Texas.

While federal vehicle safety regulations generally mandate manual controls, the Department of Transportation has recently proposed exemptions for vehicles specifically engineered for autonomous operation.

In its filing, NHTSA noted that Tesla self-certified the Cybercab as compliant with all Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS), a process where automakers traditionally affirm their own regulatory adherence. The investigation will focus on the technical data and reasoning Tesla used for this certification.

Regulators indicated they will scrutinize whether Tesla’s compliance claims relied on the determination that certain federal motor standards do not apply to the Cybercab due to its design.