{
  "id": 6785308,
  "title": "Firefighters Say There’s a Glaring Issue With Tesla’s Cybercab",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/11/firefighters-say-theres-a-glaring-issue-with-teslas-cybercab",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-11T17:52:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Futurism",
    "slug": "futurism",
    "url": "https://futurism.com/future-society/firefighters-texas-telsa-cybercab-glaring-issue-steering-wheel"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In Austin, Tesla's sleek gold Cybercabs are now on the roads, their butterfly doors shimmering in the Texas sunlight. However, city firefighters have a concern about the self-driving vehicles: they lack a steering wheel. Austin Fire Department chief Matthew McElearney spoke to NBC about the issue, expressing worries that the Cybercab's manual controls are connected to the on-board touchscreen. In an emergency, moving the car could prove tricky, as touchscreen controls are notoriously finicky and require power. McElearney noted that touchscreens could present challenges in various scenarios, such as when responders are wearing gloves, covered in sweat or dust, or if the vehicle is damaged or lacks power. He emphasized that situations might arise where a touchscreen isn't suitable, like when responders are unable to touch the screen. While the Cybercab is the latest challenge for city firefighters, McElearney also expressed concerns about vehicles from Tesla's competitors like Zoox and Waymo. Ultimately, he believes it should be federal regulators, not the companies, who set the standards for vehicle design. McElearney called on the administration to prioritize safety, stating that the goal should be to design autonomous vehicles correctly, not simply to beat the competition in the race to autonomy.",
  "summary": "\"We need the feds to step up to the plate on this.\" The post Firefighters Say There’s a Glaring Issue With Tesla’s Cybercab appeared first on Futurism .",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}