The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has ordered Tesla to answer questions about whether it properly certified its autonomous Cybercab robotaxi, according to Electrek.
Tesla must provide its responses by September 30. The inquiry focuses on how the company determined that the Cybercab complies with federal vehicle-safety standards despite lacking conventional equipment such as a steering wheel and pedals.
Regulators specifically want to know whether Tesla temporarily installed human-driver controls or other equipment when testing and certifying the vehicle. NHTSA is also seeking information about whether Cybercabs can be controlled by humans and whether passengers have access to touchscreen controls capable of moving the vehicle.
The agency has asked Tesla to disclose any restrictions involving the Cybercab’s speed, operating geography, time of day or other conditions. These details could help determine whether the vehicle was certified based on capabilities or configurations that differ from those used during commercial service.
The request is part of an Audit Query examining Tesla’s self-certification process. Automakers are responsible for certifying that their vehicles satisfy applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, although NHTSA can investigate the technical analysis and testing used to support those certifications.
The inquiry does not represent a finding that Tesla violated federal regulations. However, it introduces another potential obstacle as the company attempts to expand Cybercab operations beyond a limited initial deployment.
Cybercab is central to Tesla’s effort to reposition itself as an artificial intelligence, robotics and autonomous-transportation company. The two-seat vehicle is designed specifically for driverless service and eliminates many components associated with conventional human-operated cars.
Removing those controls could reduce manufacturing costs and improve the passenger experience, but it also requires Tesla to demonstrate compliance with safety rules originally written for vehicles operated by human drivers.
NHTSA is separately working to update several standards that apply to automated vehicles, including rules covering pedals, mirrors, windshield wipers and lighting. Until those revisions are completed, manufacturers must comply with the existing requirements or obtain applicable exemptions.
The outcome could influence how quickly Tesla can scale the Cybercab network. A favorable response could clarify the regulatory pathway for vehicles designed without manual controls. Questions about the certification process, by contrast, could lead to additional testing, operating restrictions, design modifications or other enforcement measures.
Tesla is competing with Waymo, Zoox and other autonomous-driving companies that have taken different approaches to vehicle design and regulatory compliance.
For investors, the central issue is whether Tesla can turn the Cybercab from a limited commercial service into a large, dependable robotaxi fleet. The NHTSA inquiry shows that regulatory certification will be just as important as software performance in determining the speed of that expansion.
