Tesla must submit sworn answers to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) by Oct. 30 as the agency examines how the automaker certified its driverless Cybercab under U.S. safety rules.
The review carries the designation AQ26002 and began Sept. 3, the day Cybercab rides started in Austin. The agency estimates that 1,000 vehicles fall within the audit's population.
NHTSA is reviewing Tesla's certification process and the technical records supporting it. The inquiry includes whether Tesla treated some federal safety requirements as inapplicable to an automated vehicle. The Cybercab has neither a steering wheel nor pedals as fixed manual controls. U.S. automakers attest that their vehicles meet applicable federal standards, with NHTSA overseeing that certification system. The agency has announced no finding that the Cybercab violates those rules.
At Tesla's Wednesday, Oct. 21, earnings call, Lars Moravy, the company's vice president of manufacturing, said Tesla aims to deliver Cybercabs to a small group of customers by the end of 2026. He said the first deliveries would help the company learn about customer handoffs and ownership while managing autonomous fleets. Moravy gave no planned delivery total or vehicle price.
Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk said most Cybercabs would remain company-owned and provide rides through its service. On a webcast, Ashok Elluswamy, Tesla's director of AI, said Tesla is targeting November for Dallas Robotaxi service, a plan covered in EconoTimes' earlier reporting. His remarks did not specify a launch day or initial service area.
NHTSA first set Sept. 30 as the date for Tesla's sworn response, then gave the company 30 additional days. The automaker's current deadline to answer the agency is Oct. 30.
