US safety rules could hinder Tesla\u2019s Cybercab, but regulatory gaps may let it enter broad use<\/p>\n
\u00a0A gold-colored Tesla Cybercab arrives for an event in downtown Austin, Texas, US, September 3, 2026. REUTERS <\/p>\n
Tesla’s\u00a0race to deploy Cybercab robotaxis will put regulatory limits to the test as the \u200bEV maker begins paid rides in the sporty, two-seaters that run without a steering wheel, pedals or mirrors.<\/p>\n
Just hours after an event in downtown Austin, Texas, to mark the rollout, the \u200cNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it opened\u00a0an audit of about 1,000 Cybercab vehicles<\/a>\u00a0to assess how Tesla determined the cars comply with federal vehicle-safety regulations.<\/p>\n US regulators limit commercial deployment of vehicles that do not adhere to decades-old federal safety standards that were written for human-driven vehicles and require manual controls. But industry experts said regulatory gray areas and\u00a0Elon Musk’s<\/a>\u00a0litigious track record could give Tesla a chance to force the Cybercab into broad use anyway.<\/p>\n Amid a frenzy of fans and social \u200bmedia influencers in downtown Austin, Texas, Cybercabs were added to Tesla’s robotaxi fleet that now operates its best-selling Model Y SUVs. Tesla said\u00a0Cybercab rides were open<\/a>\u00a0to everyone and executives described \u200bpricing plans.<\/p>\n The golden, butterfly-door Cybercab embodies Musk’s strategy of betting the company on self-driving software and robotics. That bet has pushed its stock valuation to $1.4 trillion, \u2060more than the top several global automakers combined.<\/p>\n Unlike most other countries, where new vehicle models and technology need regulatory clearance ahead of launch, automakers in\u00a0the US.<\/a>\u00a0can deploy them on the public roads by self-certifying \u200bthat they meet federal standards.<\/p>\n “I don’t think there is a reasonable interpretation that can be made to suggest that the Cybercab can comply with the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards,” said Michael Brooks, executive director \u200bof the Center for Auto Safety, a consumer advocacy group.<\/p>\n While NHTSA is pushing faster than usual to change vehicle-safety standards and separately drafting new rules to accommodate driverless vehicles, its efforts, experts have said, are likely to take longer to kick in than what Musk is promising.<\/p>\n Musk is not known to wait for regulations, though. “Tesla historically has tested limits and pushed boundaries on regulations,” said Philip Koopman, a Carnegie Mellon University engineering professor and autonomous-vehicle safety expert. “I fully expect Tesla to \u200btest the limits.”<\/p>\n