Image: Tesla
Tesla has begun deploying its Cybercab robotaxi in Austin, Texas, putting its vision for fully autonomous ride-hailing into a new phase as US regulators examine whether the vehicle complies with federal safety requirements.
The two-seat Cybercab is Tesla’s first production vehicle designed without a steering wheel or brake pedals. Passengers cannot take control of the vehicle, with Tesla relying entirely on its autonomous driving system and remote operators to intervene when required.
“Cybercabs have no steering wheels or pedals,” Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk wrote on X ahead of the rollout. “They are designed and built for maximally efficient autonomous operation.”
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened an investigation a day after Tesla began commercial rides using the Cybercab. The probe will examine whether Tesla properly certified the vehicle as compliant with US federal motor vehicle safety standards.
“NHTSA fully supports the safe development and deployment of automated vehicles,” said NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison. “But as the federal regulator, we need to ensure that all of our laws are followed.”
The investigation comes as the US considers changes to rules written around conventional vehicles with manual controls. The Department of Transportation has proposed removing some requirements for automated vehicles, including those relating to manual controls. Those changes have not yet removed the need for manufacturers to demonstrate compliance with federal standards.
The regulatory scrutiny adds another test for Tesla as it tries to expand a robotaxi operation that remains small compared with its leading rival. Tesla has been running an autonomous ride-hailing service in Texas using modified Model Y vehicles, while Waymo has built a substantially larger commercial operation.
Tesla reported 380,000 cumulative driverless miles across its robotaxi hubs in its latest earnings update. Waymo has recorded more than 220 million rider-only driverless miles since launching its commercial service in 2020.
The Cybercab removes the fallback of a human driver used in parts of Tesla’s existing operation. Tesla has previously said it needs to gather driving data specific to the vehicle before deploying it at scale.
The company is also exploring whether Cybercabs could eventually be sold to fleet operators, which would allow them to be used beyond Tesla’s own robotaxi network.
