The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it would examine whether the company’s new self-driving taxi, which has no steering wheel, meets federal auto regulations.
Federal regulators have opened an investigation into whether Tesla’s new Cybercab model is compliant with safety regulations, a potentially big obstacle to the company’s plans to offer paid rides in the driverless vehicles.
The investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began Thursday, according to a document posted on the agency’s website, the same day that Tesla displayed dozens of Cybercabs in Austin, Texas, near the factory where they are produced.
Tesla has indicated that it plans to offer paid rides in the Cybercabs, which do not have steering wheels, brake pedals or side and rearview mirrors. The company has also invited inquiries from people interested in buying fleets of Cybercabs. The car is not yet available to be purchased by individuals.
The Cybercab is central to plans by Elon Musk, Tesla’s chief executive, to revolutionize transportation and dominate the growing market for vehicles capable of acting as robot chauffeurs. Tesla’s $1.4 trillion stock market valuation depends in large part on the success of its taxi service.
“The future of transport is safer, more enjoyable & gives you more time back,” Tesla said on the company’s X account Thursday, one of a series of posts about the Cybercab.
“The streets won’t be the same anymore,” Ashok Elluswamy, head of artificial intelligence at Tesla, said on X.
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