NHTSA Opens Probe into 1,000 Tesla Cybercabs Over Lack of Steering Wheels

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced it has opened a formal audit involving approximately 1,000 Tesla Cybercab vehicles. The agency is examining the manufacturer's certification process and the technical data used to assert compliance with federal vehicle safety standards. According to NHTSA officials, the Cybercab is missing permanently attached conventional manual controls. These missing components include a steering wheel, brake pedal, accelerator pedal, and side-view mirrors. The regulator stated it will investigate the basis for Tesla's certification and determine how the company concluded that certain Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards did not apply to the vehicle. This investigation follows reports that Tesla began commercial deployment of a small number of the two-seater Cybercab in Austin, Texas, on Thursday. As of Friday morning, state records indicated 45 registered Cybercab vehicles among 420 total autonomous vehicles operating in Texas. The U.S. auto safety regulator opened an audit into about 1,000 Tesla Cybercabs over lack of steering wheels.