Federal regulators opened a Cybercab audit hours after its public debut

Tesla began giving members of the public rides in its two-seat Cybercab in Austin. The vehicle has no steering wheel or brake pedals. It also lacks some other equipment that federal safety standards normally require. Hours after the launch event, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an Audit Query into Tesla's certification process.

U.S. automakers certify their own compliance with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. NHTSA said its query would examine the process and technical data Tesla used. The agency also said it would review whether Tesla decided that some standards did not apply to the Cybercab. Tesla has said it does not need an exemption because the vehicle complies with current rules.

The Verge reported that the query covers an estimated 1,000 Cybercabs. Texas records listed 45 in Tesla's fleet. Tesla plans to use the cars in its Robotaxi service in Texas and Florida. The company did not answer requests for comment from Ars Technica and Wired.

An Audit Query is an investigation, not a finding that Tesla broke a rule or built an unsafe vehicle. NHTSA has not ordered a stop to Cybercab rides. The estimated fleet size comes from reporting; Texas records showed 45 registered vehicles.

A driverless vehicle has no driver to take the wheel. Current federal rules still require equipment written for human-controlled cars. NHTSA is revising eight standards, but those revisions are not finished.

That leaves a live question. A company can say an old requirement does not fit its product. NHTSA still has to decide whether the alternative protects passengers and other road users. Tesla moved first and made that question public.

NHTSA can request Tesla's test data, certification logic and production records. The agency can require changes or pursue penalties if it finds noncompliance. The first concrete test is whether Tesla can keep charging for public rides while the audit continues.

Zoox offers a comparison. It sought an exemption for a vehicle without normal controls and received one this summer, limited to 2,500 vehicles this year. Watch whether NHTSA tells Tesla to take the same route, narrows the Cybercab's service, or accepts Tesla's reading of the standards.