Tesla Launches Wheel-Free Robotaxi, Regulators Immediately Peek Over the Fence
KEY POINTS
- ā¢Tesla launched its Cybercab robotaxi program in Austin with 45 registered vehicles last Thursday.
- ā¢NHTSA opened an audit immediately, scrutinizing Tesla's claim that the Cybercab meets existing federal safety standards.
- ā¢Tesla certified compliance in defiance of traditional rules requiring physical controls like steering wheels and pedals.
Tesla dropped its Cybercabs in Austin last Thursday, unleashing 45 shiny, steering-wheel-free gold robots onto Texas streets just as NHTSA decided to audit the company's 'self-certified' autonomous wonder. The federal safety watchdog, led by Jonathan Morrison, politely asked Tesla for homework verification on whether rocking no steering wheels, pedals, or even mirrors really fits into their picture of 'federal safety standards.' Meanwhile, Tesla, suspiciously silent, didnāt comment on its bold gambit to certify compliance despite existing rules seemingly flapping in the breeze. Interestingly, Amazon-backed Zoox recently got a temporary federal hall pass for similar steering-free antics, setting a curious precedent for driverless chaos with no human fallback plan.
Share the Story
(1 of 3)Tesla rolled out Cybercabs with zero wheels for drivers because who needs actual controls when youāve got āself-certificationā? Regulators just asked for the popcorn and papers.
Driving without a steering wheel sounds like a brilliant idea until you remember literal humans governed crash test laws until yesterday.
NHTSA flipping through Teslaās self-certified safety manual like itās a pop quiz nobody studied forāwelcome to the future, folks.
Source: Businessinsider | Published: 9/4/2026 | Author: Ben Shimkus
More Articles in Technology
US Soldiers Hide Bradleys From Drones Like Teens Avoiding Phone Calls
Audacityās New Logo Proves You Can Fight Branding and Win... Badly
Elon Musk Debates Chess.com Intern Over Universe-Sized Chess Math
OpenAIās Astra Orders Your Takeout While You Achieve Peak Human Couch Potato Status
Bluetti's 'Not-a-SoGen' Solar Beast Hauls Your Air Compressor Like A Tank
Nvidia Accidentally Unleashes DLSS 5 On Everything Except Common Sense
