Tesla’s Cybercab event in Austin did little to convince Wall Street that the company is ready to lead the robotaxi market. The event was unusually quiet, and CEO Elon Musk did not attend.
The more immediate challenge came early Friday, when the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened an investigation into Tesla shortly after the company placed its first Cybercabs on Austin streets. The vehicles lack a steering wheel and pedals.
Federal vehicle safety regulations require manual controls such as brake pedals. The Department of Transportation has proposed removing those requirements for vehicles designed to drive themselves, but that proposal has not changed the current rules. Tesla chose to self-certify the Cybercab, following the standard approach used for traditional human-driven vehicles.
Tesla has registered 45 Cybercabs in Texas, according to the state’s automated vehicle tracker. That remains far smaller than Waymo’s operation, which the source identifies as a comparison for scale.
The investigation does not necessarily prevent Tesla from continuing to operate the vehicles. The company’s larger test will be whether it can launch a robotaxi service safely and at scale.
Comments
0No comments yet. Be the first to comment.