The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened an investigation into whether 1,000 Tesla Cybercab vehicles were properly certified, according to a report on Friday. The probe by the auto safety regulator examines the process and technical data Tesla used to assert compliance with federal motor vehicle safety standards.
Tesla shares fell more than 6% on Friday amid the news. The investigation was initiated after Tesla began the commercial deployment of a limited number of its two-seater Cybercabs in Austin, Texas, on Thursday. The company stated plans to gradually expand the service to more vehicles and locations.
The NHTSA noted that the Cybercab lacks permanently attached conventional manual controls, including a steering wheel, brake pedal, accelerator pedal, and mirrors. The agency intends to scrutinize the basis for Tesla's certification, including the extent to which the company determined that certain Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards were not applicable to the vehicle.
State records indicate that Tesla had 420 autonomous vehicles registered in Texas as of Friday morning, with 45 of those being Cybercab vehicles. Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
This development occurs as NHTSA has been considering changes to autonomous vehicle regulations. In June, the agency proposed to end a government requirement for manual brake pedals in self-driving vehicles, a move that could simplify the deployment of such vehicles on U.S. roads. It has also proposed other modifications to federal safety standards to allow autonomous vehicles to operate without certain human driver equipment.
Under existing U.S. law, fully self-driving vehicles do not require NHTSA approval if they are equipped with necessary human controls, such as steering wheels, brake pedals, or mirrors. However, NHTSA possesses the authority to grant petitions allowing up to 2,500 vehicles per manufacturer annually to operate on U.S. roads without required human controls. In July, NHTSA approved a petition for Amazon's Zoox unit for the limited commercial deployment of its novel steering-wheel-free robotaxis, marking a first for the autonomous ride industry.