Het verhaal
On 4 Sep 2026 the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an investigation into Tesla’s Cybercab launch mere hours after the first production units hit public roads in Austin with no steering wheel or pedals. Federal FMVSS still require manual controls, though DOT has proposed exceptions for purpose-built AVs. Tesla told NHTSA it self-certified Cybercab as FMVSS-compliant; the agency will examine that certification process and which standards Tesla treated as inapplicable. Precedent: Zoox’s similar cube robotaxi drew a 2022–23 NHTSA special order/audit, then a temporary Part 555 exemption (approved July 2026, 2,500 vehicles/year) before paid Las Vegas service. Ars Technica (5 Sep) adds on-the-ground detail that Cybercab has already been deployed in limited service while the NHTSA probe is underway.