The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has launched an investigation into Tesla after the company began operating its Cybercab without a steering wheel or pedals on public roads. The agency said it opened the inquiry Friday morning, only hours after the first Cybercabs appeared on streets in Austin, Texas.
What the issue is
Current Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) require manual control elements such as brake pedals. At the same time, the Department of Transportation has recently proposed removing some of those requirements for vehicles that are designed to be autonomously driven.
NHTSA said it supports the safe development and deployment of automated vehicles, but as the federal regulator it must ensure that existing laws are followed. Jonathan Morrison, an NHTSA official, said: “NHTSA fully supports the safe development and deployment of automated vehicles. But as the federal regulator, we need to ensure that all of our laws are followed.”
Scope of the investigation
According to NHTSA, Tesla informed the agency that it self‑certified the Cybercab as compliant with all applicable FMVSS. Automakers traditionally self‑certify whether their vehicles meet FMVSS requirements.
The agency said it opened the probe to “examine the process and technical data on which Tesla relied when certifying the Cybercab and related issues.” NHTSA will evaluate the extent to which Tesla’s certification depended on determinations that certain federal motor standards do not apply to the Cybercab.
Precedent: Zoox
NHTSA’s action follows a prior case. In 2022, Amazon‑owned autonomous vehicle company Zoox self‑certified its cube‑shaped robotaxi, which also lacks traditional controls such as a steering wheel and pedals. NHTSA then issued a "special order" seeking more information from Zoox and formally launched an audit query — the same process it is using now with Tesla.
At that time Zoox was still heavily in testing, and the inquiry slowed its commercial timeline. Zoox maintained that self‑certification was sufficient; in 2025 the federal agency granted the company an exemption to demonstrate — but not commercially operate — its technology. Zoox subsequently filed for a temporary Part 555 exemption from eight FMVSS rules to try to obtain the final approval needed to charge for robotaxi rides.
Zoox received final approval for that exemption in July 2026, removing a major remaining regulatory hurdle before commercial robotaxi service. The exemption imposed limits: under the temporary exemption Zoox could add up to 2,500 vehicles per year to its commercial fleet over the next two years. Zoox opened a commercial service a few weeks later and now charges for rides in Las Vegas.
What happens next
It is not yet clear whether Tesla will face a similarly protracted process. Zoox’s regulatory path spanned administrations and required formal audits and exemptions before full commercial operation.
NHTSA also noted on Friday that it is in the process of updating parts of the FMVSS that relate to manual controls, with the stated goal of "unleash[ing] American innovation and enhance[ing] safety on our roads." The agency said it looks forward to completing those updates and removing unnecessary barriers to American autonomous vehicle innovation in the coming months, but emphasized that until the work is finished existing standards remain in force.
The agency said the investigation will review Tesla’s technical submissions and the company’s self‑certification practices.
Update: This story was updated with new information from NHTSA.
