Tesla said Wednesday it will begin selling its autonomous Cybercab to customers by the end of the year, even as US federal regulators investigate whether the vehicle meets vehicle safety standards. The gold-hued, two-seat vehicle has no steering wheel or other traditional controls.
During Tesla's third-quarter earnings call, vice president of engineering Lars Moravy said the Cybercabs being produced today are all destined for the company's own robotaxi fleet. As that fleet grows, Tesla will "mainly deliver fully designed autonomous vehicles to our customers," he said, starting small and scaling as the company learns about delivery, ownership and fleet management of autonomous vehicles.
Tesla first floated the idea of selling the Cybercab to third parties last month around its Cybercab event in Austin, posting a form for people interested in buying robotaxis. It was not previously clear whether the company would follow through, or how.
CEO Elon Musk described the Cybercab as a ride-hailing vehicle rather than a car people would own. "Cybercab is primarily going to be something that is offered as like transport as a service," he said on the call, adding that the vast majority of Cybercab use would be Tesla-owned and operated as a service.
Musk also said an unsupervised version of Full Self-Driving would be rolled out to customers sometime in the second quarter of next year, another delay for owners who bought or subscribed to the software years ago. If both timelines hold, third-party fleet customers could buy an autonomous Cybercab before Tesla owners gain the same autonomous capability in their own cars.
One obstacle could disrupt the plan. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced last month that it had opened an investigation into the Cybercab, just hours after the vehicles began operating on public streets in Austin. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards require manual controls such as brake pedals, as well as rearview and side mirrors. Automakers traditionally self-certify whether their vehicles comply, and Tesla did the same. Current regulations do not accommodate vehicles without manual controls, though the Department of Transportation recently proposed removing those requirements for vehicles designed to be autonomously driven.
NHTSA said it would investigate to "examine the process and technical data on which Tesla relied when certifying the Cybercab and related issues." The outcome could affect whether Tesla, or anyone else, can legally operate the Cybercab.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- Tesla says it will sell a vehicle with no steering wheel or pedals before federal rules clearly allow it, putting the company on a collision course with its safety regulator.
- The outcome will help determine whether autonomous vehicles without manual controls can be sold and operated in the United States.
- It also affects Tesla owners waiting for "unsupervised" Full Self-Driving, which Musk now says will arrive in the second quarter of next year.
Background
Tesla has long promised a large fleet of low-cost robotaxis. Until recently, those plans centered on turning privately owned Tesla vehicles into self-driving taxis through a software update, a plan that has not materialized. Musk's comments on the earnings call show how that vision has shifted toward a dedicated Cybercab fleet.
Under current federal rules, automakers self-certify that their vehicles meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, which require manual controls. The Department of Transportation has proposed removing those requirements for vehicles designed to be autonomously driven, but that rulemaking is not yet final.
Key Perspectives
Tesla: The company maintains it can certify the Cybercab and begin selling it to customers by the end of the year, while also building out its own robotaxi fleet. It frames the Cybercab primarily as a transport-as-a-service vehicle rather than a personal car.
NHTSA: The regulator has opened an investigation into the process and technical data Tesla used to certify the Cybercab, questioning whether the vehicle meets federal standards that still require manual controls. It has not reached a conclusion.
Critics and skeptics: The regulatory gap and the history of FSD delays raise questions about Tesla's timeline. Tesla's current Full Self-Driving (Supervised) system still requires a human driver to remain engaged and ready to take over, and many videos show drivers testing the limits of that rule.
What to Watch
- The outcome of the NHTSA investigation into Tesla's Cybercab certification.
- Whether Tesla actually begins Cybercab sales by the end of the year.
- Musk's promised rollout of unsupervised FSD in the second quarter of next year.
- The Department of Transportation's proposed rulemaking on manual control requirements for autonomous vehicles.
