NHTSA Opens Audit Into About 1,000 Tesla Cybercab Vehicles

According to CNBC, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an audit into about 1,000 Tesla Cybercab vehicles to examine the process and technical data Tesla used to claim compliance with federal vehicle safety standards. The probe follows Tesla's Thursday start of commercial deployment of a small number of the two-seater Cybercab in Austin, Texas, with plans to gradually expand the service to additional vehicles and locations. NHTSA said the Cybercab lacks permanently attached conventional manual controls, including a steering wheel, brake pedal, accelerator pedal and mirrors, and said it will review the basis for Tesla's certification and whether certain Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards were not applicable to the vehicle. Tesla had 420 autonomous vehicles registered in Texas as of Friday morning, including 45 Cybercab vehicles, according to state records.