Feds open probe into Musk's steering-wheel-free taxis a day after he began offering rides in them
- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an investigation into whether Tesla's Cybercabs comply with federal safety rules, one day after the company began offering rides in Austin, Texas on Thursday.
- The Cybercabs are two-seat vehicles that lack steering wheels, mirrors, and brake pedals typically required in vehicles, raising questions about compliance with federal standards.
- Tesla relied on a self-certification process to ensure the Cybercabs met federal standards, but regulators are now examining whether they actually do comply.
- Tesla stock fell nearly 6% to $354.08 on Friday, reversing all gains from the previous day despite the launch excitement.
- The regulatory audit will examine the process and technical data Tesla used in its certification, similar to a probe faced by rival taxi service Zoox three years ago.
Federal regulators have opened an investigation into whether Tesla's newly launched Cybercabs comply with federal safety standards. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration initiated the probe one day after Tesla began offering rides in the steering-wheel-free vehicles in Austin, Texas on Thursday. The Cybercabs are two-seat vehicles that lack steering wheels, mirrors, and brake pedals—components typically required in vehicles—raising questions about their compliance with federal regulations.
Tesla had stated it relied on a self-certification process to ensure the Cybercabs met federal standards before deployment. However, regulators are now examining whether the vehicles actually comply with those standards. The agency will conduct an audit to examine the process and technical data Tesla used in its certification. This regulatory scrutiny is not automatic; investigators typically only probe certifications they believe may violate federal rules.
The investigation comes as Tesla stock fell nearly 6% to $354.08 on Friday, erasing all gains from the previous day despite the high-profile launch event. Tesla did not respond to requests for comment. The Cybercabs represent a significant departure from conventional vehicles with major design changes that present new safety considerations. A similar probe was conducted on rival taxi service Zoox three years ago after it self-certified its own steering-wheel-free cabs; regulators eventually granted approval following a formal review.
马斯克无方向盘出租车上路一天后 联邦监管机构启动调查
联邦监管机构已启动调查，以确定特斯拉新推出的Cybercabs是否符合联邦安全标准。美国国家公路交通安全管理局在特斯拉周四在德州奥斯汀开始提供无方向盘车辆乘车服务一天后启动了调查。Cybercabs是双座车辆，缺少方向盘、后视镜和制动踏板——这些是车辆通常配备的部件——引发了对其是否符合联邦法规的疑问。
特斯拉曾表示，它依靠自我认证流程确保Cybercabs在部署前符合联邦标准。然而，监管机构现在正在审查这些车辆是否真正符合这些标准。该机构将进行审计，以检查特斯拉在认证中使用的流程和技术数据。这种监管审查并非自动进行；调查人员通常只对他们认为可能违反联邦规则的认证进行调查。
调查之际，特斯拉股票周五下跌近6%至354.08美元，抵消了前一天因高调发布活动而获得的所有涨幅。特斯拉未回应置评请求。Cybercabs代表了与传统车辆的重大偏离，具有提出新安全考虑的重大设计变化。三年前，竞争对手出租车服务Zoox在自我认证其无方向盘出租车后也面临类似调查；监管机构最终在进行正式审查后批准了该服务。