Tesla aims to sell Cybercab robotaxis by end of 2026 despite federal probe

Tesla aims to sell its Cybercab robotaxis to the public by the end of 2026, despite a federal probe into the vehicles, according to Lars Moravy, Tesla's vice-president of vehicle engineering. The all-electric, two-seater Cybercab, which comes without a manual control panel, drives itself and features butterfly doors. Moravy stated that Tesla will initially sell the Cybercabs to customers and learn about delivery, ownership, and fleet management of autonomous vehicles before scaling the operation.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is currently investigating Tesla's Cybercabs to determine if the company accurately determined the vehicles comply with federal safety regulations. The regulations, written decades ago for human-driven vehicles, require manual controls and limit commercial deployment of vehicles designed without them. Tesla can, however, self-certify that its vehicles meet federal standards.

Tesla has until October 30 to respond to the NHTSA's investigation. Ashok Elluswamy, Tesla's head of AI, said scaling the Cybercab service would not be a significant challenge. The Cybercab is part of Tesla's robotaxi network, which also includes autonomous Model Ys with human safety monitors. Elon Musk has made Cybercabs a key bet in his ambition to turn Tesla into an AI and robotics company.