Investigation Launched into Tesla’s Cybercab
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) initiated an investigation into Tesla’s Cybercab on Friday, shortly after the company began deploying its first autonomous vehicles in Austin, Texas.
Reports suggest that Elon Musk’s Cybercab is devoid of a steering wheel and pedals, which conflicts with federal vehicle safety regulations that mandate manual controls, even for robotaxis. While the Department of Transportation has proposed eliminating these requirements for fully autonomous vehicles, this change has not yet been implemented. Tesla has reportedly informed the NHTSA that it self-certified the Cybercab as meeting all Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, a common practice among automakers launching new vehicles.
NHTSA stated that the investigation aims to “examine the process and technical data on which Tesla relied when certifying the Cybercab and related issues.”
A similar scenario occurred with Amazon’s robotaxi venture, Zoox, which self-certified its cube-shaped vehicle without steering wheels or pedals in 2022. The NHTSA responded by issuing a “special order” for information from Zoox and subsequently launched an audit inquiry in 2023, paralleling the current investigation into Tesla. At the time, Zoox was still in the testing phase, and this scrutiny delayed its commercialization efforts, although the company maintained that its self-certification process was valid.
The investigation continued in 2025, when regulators allowed Zoox to prove its technology, but not for commercial operations. Zoox had sought a temporary Part 555 exemption from eight Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, which received final approval in July 2026. This decision removed one of the last barriers to a commercial launch, permitting Zoox to add up to 2,500 vehicles yearly to its fleet. Soon after, Zoox began charging for rides in Las Vegas.
Tesla is no stranger to NHTSA scrutiny. The agency has previously investigated the company’s “Full Self-Driving” software due to reports of vehicles engaging in unsafe behaviors, including running red lights.
The NHTSA has addressed concerns regarding Tesla vehicles driving dangerously while utilizing the Full Self-Driving (FSD) system. This investigation affects an estimated 2.9 million Tesla vehicles and was prompted by 58 reported incidents linked to the driver-assistance technology.
Among the reported events, instances where Tesla vehicles proceeded through red lights and drove against traffic were highlighted. While crashes and injuries occurred, no fatalities have been noted so far in this investigation. One concerning detail was that several incidents occurred at the same Maryland intersection, leading Tesla to respond to the specific issue.
