The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has ordered Tesla (TSLA.O) to answer questions by September 30 regarding its self-certification of the autonomous Cybercab robotaxi. The agency is investigating whether temporarily installed human driver controls or other equipment were part of Tesla's basis for certifying compliance.
NHTSA is examining the process and technical data Tesla relied on to demonstrate compliance with federal motor vehicle safety standards before deploying the robotaxi. Tesla and other robotaxi companies, including Google's Waymo, have supported the Trump administration's plans to change regulations, which would allow such vehicles to operate without steering wheels, brake pedals, rear-view mirrors, or other equipment required for human drivers. Critics argue that these rules should not be waived until autonomous vehicles are proven safe.
The agency has asked Tesla to confirm if the Cybercab robotaxis can be driven by a human and if occupants can control the vehicle via the touchscreen. NHTSA also seeks information on the robotaxis' maximum speed, geographical or time-of-day limits, and other restrictions.
Tesla began the commercial deployment of a small number of two-seater Cybercabs in Austin, Texas, on September 3, with plans to gradually expand the service. NHTSA noted that the Cybercab lacks conventional manual controls, including a steering wheel, brake pedal, accelerator pedal, and mirrors.
In June, NHTSA proposed ending a government requirement for manual brake pedals in self-driving vehicles, which would facilitate the deployment of vehicles without human controls. Existing standards remain in force until these proposed changes are finalized.
Under current law, fully self-driving vehicles do not require NHTSA approval if they are equipped with features of human-controlled vehicles. NHTSA has the authority to grant petitions for up to 2,500 vehicles per manufacturer annually to operate without required human controls. In July, NHTSA approved a petition for Amazon's (AMZN.O) Zoox unit for limited commercial deployment of its novel steering-wheel-free robotaxis.
