Tesla is running about 1,000 Cybercabs with no steering wheel in Austin. Will federal regulators order them off the road by Sept 21?
67% of users predicted NO — the community got this one right. 18 predictions cast.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an audit query into Tesla's Cybercab on September 3, 2026, the same day the company began commercial robotaxi service in Austin, Texas. On September 10, NHTSA escalated the inquiry into a formal special order, demanding under oath that Tesla document how a vehicle with no steering wheel, pedals or mirrors complies with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards written for human-driven cars. The order specifically questions how Cybercab can be certified under FMVSS No. 135, which requires a foot-activated brake. U.S. automakers self-certify FMVSS compliance rather than seeking pre-market government approval, and NHTSA's order challenges the basis for Tesla's self-certification. Tesla has until September 30 to respond in full; failing to answer truthfully carries potential civil penalties of up to $139 million.
As of the September 21 resolution date, NHTSA had not ordered Cybercabs off the road — it had only demanded documentation, with roughly 1,000 vehicles continuing to operate in Austin while the review proceeds. The community majority (67% predicted no) correctly anticipated that regulators would stop short of a road ban within that window, recognizing that federal safety probes typically move through document requests and deadlines before any operational shutdown order.