Tesla’s Cybercab, a two-seater autonomous vehicle stripped of traditional steering wheels and brake pedals, began accepting public riders in Austin, Texas, on Tuesday evening. The launch comes just hours after the company hosted hundreds of guests for promotional rides downtown, but it is already under federal scrutiny as regulators determine whether the vehicle complies with existing safety rules.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration confirmed it launched an “Audit Query” into Tesla’s claims, reviewing the data and processes the automaker used to assert that its Robotaxi fleet meets all federal standards. NHTSA is currently revising eight vehicle regulations to accommodate driverless designs, removing requirements for brake pedals, windshield wipers, and rearview mirrors, but those updates are not yet final.
NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison said the agency supports the safe rollout of automated vehicles but emphasized the need to enforce the law. The probe could compel Tesla to modify the Cybercab or its deployment procedures, and the regulator has authority to levy civil penalties. In 2023, Volvo Group North America agreed to pay $130 million following a similar investigation and accepted three years of independent oversight.
Tesla has maintained that an exemption is unnecessary because its vehicles already satisfy current rules. Other unconventional robotaxi operators, such as Amazon-owned Zoox, obtained limited exemptions earlier this year that cap their annual deployments. Tesla plans to integrate the Cybercab into its ride-hail network across several cities in Texas and Florida and intends to scale production from dozens of vehicles currently in Texas to millions annually, consistent with CEO Elon Musk’s vision of rebranding the company as an autonomous robotics firm.
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