Tesla Cybercab investigation examines safety certification after Austin deployment
NHTSA has opened an Audit Query into Tesla’s Cybercab, reviewing how the company certified its driverless taxi under current safety rules.
By Maya Lindqvist · Senior Technology Correspondent
3 min read
The Tesla Cybercab investigation is underway after the company deployed its driverless two-seat taxis in Austin, Texas. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened an Audit Query into the basis for Tesla’s claim that the vehicles meet federal safety requirements, according to TechCrunch and WIRED.
The inquiry does not amount to a finding that Tesla violated a safety rule. The available reports do not indicate that NHTSA has ordered a recall, halted Cybercab rides, imposed a penalty or required Tesla to change the vehicle.
What is NHTSA examining in the Tesla Cybercab investigation?
NHTSA is reviewing the process and technical data Tesla used when it certified the Cybercab’s compliance with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, TechCrunch reported, citing the agency’s filing. The agency said it will also consider whether Tesla’s certification relies on determinations that some federal standards do not apply to the vehicle.
The issue centers on the Cybercab’s design. The vehicle has no steering wheel or brake pedals, and reports from Fortune and InsideEVs also describe it as lacking conventional mirrors. Those are features generally associated with federal vehicle standards, even though the Cybercab is designed to operate without a human driver.
Manufacturers normally certify for themselves that a vehicle meets applicable federal standards; NHTSA then oversees compliance rather than routinely granting advance approval for each model, TechCrunch reported. Tesla has said it does not need a regulatory exemption because the Cybercab complies with existing safety standards, according to WIRED.
Why the certification review matters
The case tests how current federal rules apply to a production vehicle built without manual driving controls. NHTSA is revising a group of rules affecting autonomous vehicles, including requirements involving equipment such as brake pedals, windshield wipers and rearview mirrors, WIRED reported. The existing rules remain in force while that work continues.
NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison said the agency supports the safe development and deployment of automated vehicles, while emphasizing its duty to ensure federal laws are followed, according to WIRED and TechCrunch. Tesla did not immediately respond to WIRED’s request for comment.
An Audit Query is a regulatory review of a manufacturer’s certification, not a final decision on compliance. TechCrunch reported that NHTSA previously used the process in an inquiry involving Zoox and its steering-wheel-free robotaxi. That earlier case provides context for the type of review, but it does not establish how the Tesla inquiry will be resolved.
NHTSA can require an automaker to alter a vehicle or its processes and can pursue enforcement action, including civil penalties, WIRED reported. None of those steps has been announced in the Cybercab matter. For riders and investors, the immediate unresolved question is whether Tesla’s self-certification can support operation of the vehicle under the federal standards that apply now.
This story draws on original reporting from Ars Technica.