US regulators probe Tesla Cybercabs for safety compliance one day after launch
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an investigation one day after Tesla launched wheel-free Cybercabs in Austin, Texas, examining whether the vehicles comply with federal safety requirements. The Cybercabs lack steering wheels, mirrors, and brake pedals, and have no manual controls for passenger override in emergencies, prompting regulators to audit Tesla's self-certification process.
What happened
Tesla launched wheel-free Cybercabs in Austin, Texas on Thursday, September 4, 2026, marking the start of what Elon Musk described as a national rollout of a driverless taxi service.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an investigation one day after the launch into whether Tesla complied with federal safety requirements when deploying the Cybercabs, which lack steering wheels, mirrors, and brake pedals.
NHTSA said it would conduct an audit to examine the process and technical data Tesla used in its self-certification for the vehicles, noting the Cybercabs involve significant changes rather than minor modifications presenting new safety issues.
Reported impact
Tesla stock fell nearly 6 percent to $354.08 on Friday, reversing all gains from the previous day amid the launch excitement and subsequent regulatory probe.
The Cybercabs lack manual controls that passengers could use to take over in an emergency, according to the vehicles' design.
Index analysis
Unlike most new vehicle models that undergo routine self-certification, regulators typically investigate only when they believe a certification may violate federal rules.
A similar probe was conducted three years prior against rival taxi service Zoox after it self-certified steering-wheel-free cabs; regulators eventually granted approval after a formal review.
Governance controls
Before launch, Tesla stated it relied on a self-certification process to ensure the Cybercabs complied with federal standards.
Tesla is facing several other federal investigations into the safety of its self-driving software.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.