NHTSA opens probe into self-certified, steering-wheel-free Tesla Cybercab

The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened an investigation into Tesla's driverless Cybercab, looking into whether the vehicle's certification under federal motor vehicle safety standards was carried out correctly.

The investigation began on 3 September, with NHTSA examining the procedures and technical data Tesla used when certifying the robotaxi.

According to documents filed with the regulator, Tesla began commercial deployment of a small number of Cybercabs in Austin, Texas, on 3 September. The company told NHTSA that the vehicles had been certified as meeting all applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS).

Tesla also said it plans to gradually expand the Cybercab operation, adding more vehicles and increasing the areas in which they operate.

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The Cybercab does not have conventional fixed controls such as a steering wheel, accelerator pedal, brake pedal or exterior mirrors.

That is now at the centre of NHTSA's review. The agency will examine how much Tesla relied on its own interpretation that certain federal safety standards did not apply to a vehicle without these traditional controls.

Tesla is not the first company to face regulatory questions over fully autonomous vehicles. In July, NHTSA granted Amazon-owned Zoox a temporary exemption to allow commercial deployment of its own steering-wheel-free autonomous taxis.

For context, the US follows a manufacturer self-certification system for vehicle safety.

Under this system, NHTSA sets the applicable performance standards, while manufacturers are responsible for certifying that their vehicles meet those requirements before putting them on the US market.

NHTSA then oversees the system and can investigate vehicles when there are concerns that a manufacturer's certification may not comply with the applicable standards.