NHTSA opens probe into Tesla's wheel-less Cybercab after its debut in Austin
The U.S. vehicle safety regulator has launched an investigation into Tesla's self-certified Cybercab, which lacks steering wheels and pedals, to review the certification process and compliance with federal safety standards.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced Friday that it has opened an investigation into Tesla's newly deployed Cybercab, a vehicle without steering wheels or pedals that began operating on public streets in Austin, Texas. The agency said the probe will examine the technical data and certification process Tesla used to claim compliance with all Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS), and will assess whether the company correctly determined that certain standards do not apply to the model.
Tesla informed NHTSA that it self-certified the Cybercab, a practice that automakers commonly use to attest that their vehicles meet FMVSS requirements. NHTSA’s inquiry follows a similar action taken in 2022 when it questioned Amazon-owned Zoox after the company self-certified its robotaxi lacking traditional controls. That earlier investigation delayed Zoox’s commercial rollout but eventually led to a temporary exemption and, in July 2026, final approval for limited operation.
Regulators are currently reviewing a Department of Transportation proposal to relax manual-control requirements for vehicles designed for autonomous operation, a change that could affect the regulatory landscape for both Tesla and other developers of driverless technology.