NHTSA Probes Tesla Cybercab Safety After Austin Deployment

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has ordered Tesla, Inc. to respond by September 30 to an inquiry regarding the self-certification of its autonomous Cybercab robotaxi. The investigation focuses on whether the company properly demonstrated compliance with federal motor vehicle safety standards before deploying the vehicles on September 3 in Austin, Texas. Specifically, regulators are questioning if Tesla used temporary human driver controls as a basis for certification and are seeking data on maximum speeds, operational restrictions, and touchscreen vehicle control.

While the company faces regulatory scrutiny in the United States, it is expanding its global promotional efforts. Tesla announced the Cybercab Tour, which will bring static displays of the two-seater vehicle to cities across Australia and New Zealand in 2026-27, starting in Sydney later this month. The tour aims to generate interest in the company's autonomous technology and increase sales of its Full Self-Driving software.

Simultaneously, the Government of New South Wales is reviewing proposals from Tesla and Waymo to deploy driverless taxis in Sydney. This comes as Tesla continues to expand its Robotaxi services across several other U.S. cities beyond the initial Austin fleet.