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RobotRisk / Tesla / 2026-09-03
av trucking · regulatory

NHTSA opens Audit Query AQ26002 into Tesla Cybercab certification

S3 · 09/03
2026 · Tesla · Austin, TX, USA

Record

CompanyTesla
Categoryav trucking
Typeregulatory
Date09/03
2026
Time of daynot documented
LocationAustin, TX, USA
SeverityS3 (recall, enforcement, or fleet-wide fault)
Scale~1,000 Cybercabs
Confidencehigh
VerificationYes - adversarially checked against the cited source
SourceMotor1 / TechCrunch

What happened

Hours after Tesla began charging fares for Cybercab rides in Austin on Sept 3, 2026, NHTSA opened Audit Query AQ26002 covering roughly 1,000 Cybercabs, examining how the two-seat robotaxi (no steering wheel, pedals, or mirrors) was self-certified under FMVSS crash rules designed for traditional cars, including how much certification relied on determining certain FMVSS inapplicable.

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10212016 S5: 11162018 S5: 11182019 S5: 11192022 S3: 12022 S5: 12222023 S3: 12023 S4: 12023 S5: 24232024 S2: 22024 S3: 22024 S4: 12024 S5: 49242025 S1: 12025 S2: 152025 S3: 22025 S4: 22025 S5: 121252026 S2: 162026 S3: 42026 S5: 12126
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