Tesla IncNHTSA special order demands Tesla prove the Cybercab is legal to sell, threatening fines and its plan to sell Cybercabs to the public.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has issued a special order requiring Tesla to prove that its Cybercab, which has no steering wheel or pedals, is legal to sell and safe for the road. In a 21-part request, the agency is requiring Tesla to list every federal motor vehicle safety standard it certified the vehicle to and explain in detail how a car with no driver controls meets rules governing indicators, turning, and braking. NHTSA is specifically concerned about whether Tesla relied on temporarily bolted-in steering wheels and pedals to pass certification and then removed them, which could violate the Safety Act's prohibition on rendering required safety equipment inoperative. The agency also demands that Tesla explain how the Cybercab complies with the rules without seeking an exemption under Part 555 of the federal rules, which NHTSA has said any vehicle solely operated by an automated driving system would likely need before it can be lawfully sold. Tesla has until September 30 to respond to the request or face fines and penalties, a significant matter for a company that has bet its future on physical AI including autonomy, robotaxis, and robots. Amazon's Zoox, by contrast, received the necessary NHTSA authorizations for the exemption after first proving the safety case for its robotaxis, then received its commercial permit. Tesla has also suggested it would sell the Cybercabs to the public, which now seems under threat given the rules NHTSA has in place for vehicle sales and its inclination so far to approve robotaxi use for commercial operators.
Tesla IncNHTSA special order demands Tesla prove the Cybercab is legal to sell, threatening fines and its plan to sell Cybercabs to the public.
Amazon.com IncArticle notes Amazon's Zoox obtained the needed NHTSA exemption authorizations and commercial permit, contrasting with Tesla's regulatory trouble.
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