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Tesla’s Cybercab has been deployed, and it’s already under investigation
Confirmed
In Short: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has launched an investigation into Tesla's deployment of 1,000 autonomous Cybercab vehicles in Austin, Texas.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has initiated an investigation into Tesla's deployment of approximately 1,000 Cybercab vehicles in Austin, Texas, which lack steering wheels and brake pedals. These vehicles are part of Tesla's fully autonomous fleet, allowing travelers to book rides through the company's robotaxi app.
Tesla notified NHTSA that it certified the Cybercabs as compliant with all applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS), and plans to gradually expand the deployment to other locations and vehicle models.
The NHTSA's Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance opened an examination of the Tesla Cybercabs' regulatory compliance, focusing on the process and technical data Tesla relied upon for certification.
Like Zoox, Tesla retains ownership of all its Cybercabs and does not currently sell them to external companies or individual customers, raising additional scrutiny from regulatory bodies.
What's confirmed
What's still developing
- It currently has 45 registered for operation in Texas, where they are being deployed within geofenced areas in Austin, Houston and Dallas, and are all remotely monitored by Tesla.
- Tesla’s Cybercab, a distinctive two-seater without a steering wheel or brake pedals, is set to start picking up members of the public in two states.
- The investigation, called an Audit Query, will examine the data and process that Tesla used to make that determination, according to a government filing.
- Tesla launched the Cybercab commercially in Austin yesterday, and the event turned out to be the nothing-burger we expected.
- Anyway, as we previously reported, Tesla is only going to deploy Cybercab in its limited geo-fenced robotaxi service.
- Here’s what happens when the Cybercab gets in a crash: The airbags will inflate, the doors will unlock, the hazard warning lights and interior lights will turn on, the high voltage battery is disabled, the windows go to the “vent” position, the Cybercab will apply the brakes to come to a stop and park, and the infotainment system will start up a two-way connection with Tesla’s rider support team.
- Just hours after the first production Cybercabs hit the streets of Austin, federal regulators launched an investigation into the robotaxi's deployment, according to TechCrunch.
- Tesla has not yet issued a public statement addressing the investigation, and regulators haven't detailed what triggered the review.