NHTSA opens audit into Tesla Cybercab over missing steering wheel, pedals and mirrors

Federal audit targets Cybercab certification

NHTSA has opened an audit query into Tesla's newly launched Cybercab, examining the process and technical data behind the company's certification of the vehicle. According to The Verge, the agency will look specifically at how far that certification rested on Tesla's own conclusions that certain Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) simply do not apply to the robotaxi. The Cybercab ships without a steering wheel, pedals or sideview mirrors — features the FMVSS normally require — and The Verge reports that Tesla does not appear to have sought an exemption from those rules.

The announcement came in the same week Tesla marked the vehicle's public debut with a private event in Austin. According to The Verge, the audit covers an estimated 1,000 Cybercabs, though it is unclear that many exist: only 45 are currently registered with the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Tesla has said it plans to bring the vehicle to other cities as part of its Robotaxi service and eventually sell it to individuals for an estimated $30,000.

A regulator testing its own rulebook

In the United States, automakers self-certify compliance with the FMVSS, and NHTSA can open an investigation when a vehicle appears to reach the road without legally required equipment. An audit does not halt production, but it clouds the vehicle's commercial future. NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison said the agency supports the safe development of automated vehicles but, as the federal regulator, must make sure the laws are followed.

There is a recent precedent. According to The Verge, Amazon's Zoox launched its steering-wheel-free shuttle in 2024 while claiming compliance with all safety standards; NHTSA investigated the self-certification and, while that probe ran, Zoox could operate only for demonstration purposes and could not charge passenger fares until the agency granted permission this past July — roughly two years later. Whether Tesla can collect fares for Cybercab rides while its audit is ongoing is now an open question. NHTSA is separately weighing rule changes that would make it easier to sell driverless vehicles without traditional controls, and it is also probing 3.2 million Teslas equipped with Full Self-Driving.

Fine-print details from the launch

TechCrunch dug through the PDFs and updated Robotaxi app terms that accompanied the launch — a private affair without the usual livestream, a roughly 15-minute keynote and, reportedly, no remarks from Elon Musk. Among the details: riders under 13 are barred from the Cybercab "at this time," even though minors aged 8 to 17 can ride in Tesla's Model Y robotaxis, and all riders under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. The vehicle also omits the standard LATCH anchors, so child seats can only be attached with the seat belt.

The documentation spells out what happens in a crash: airbags inflate, doors unlock, hazard and interior lights switch on, the high-voltage battery is disabled, the windows move to a vent position, the vehicle brakes to a stop, and the infotainment system opens a two-way connection to rider support. Manual door releases sit in an obvious spot on each armrest — notable given past criticism of hard-to-find releases, and given that Tesla agreed last month to recall 3 million cars in China over electronic door latches.

The Cybercab also uses a brake-by-wire system with electronic actuators on the calipers instead of hydraulics, an approach Musk said avoids the complexity of routing plumbing around the car. Other quirks: the windows cannot be fully opened, and influencer Jeremy Judkins reported that the USB-C ports deliver 90W, per TechCrunch.

Why it matters

The audit is an early test of whether a camera-and-AI-only vehicle with no manual controls can be certified under safety standards written for human drivers. NHTSA may eventually rewrite those rules, but until it does, Tesla's paid robotaxi ambitions rest on certification decisions that regulators are now actively questioning — and the Zoox precedent suggests the resolution could take years.