Safety
NHTSA issued a Special Order telling Tesla to show under oath how the Cybercab meets federal safety standards, with a deadline of 30 September. Not answering fully and truthfully can bring penalties of up to $139 million. No result had been announced by early October.
A crash, recall, injury or investigation
What the source says
“Failing to answer fully and truthfully carries penalties of up to $139 million.”
What it means
Cybercab, from Tesla, is at stage 4 of 5 on our ladder: paying customers. Safety events don't move a stage on their own, but they stay on the robot's record.
Human help: The maker hasn't said whether people help it remotely.
More on Cybercab
- Tesla said it was trying to deliver Cybercabs to customers by the end of 2026, adding that all Cybercabs built in Texas so far were going to its own Robotaxi fleet.
- 169 Cybercabs were registered to operate in Austin, according to a fan news site using Texas DMV data. Registration does not show how many carry riders.
- At launch, only 45 Cybercabs were registered in Texas. Tesla said it had built factory capacity for 125,000 a year.
- NHTSA, the US road-safety agency, opened an audit query into how Tesla certified the Cybercab as meeting federal safety rules, including whether rules written for cars with pedals apply to it. It covers an estimated 1,000 vehicles.
- Tesla put the first Cybercabs into its Robotaxi service in Austin, first for invited shareholders and fans, then more widely through the Robotaxi app.
- Tesla said the first production Cybercab came off the assembly line at its Texas factory. Electrek reported steady production was not expected until April.