The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has launched an Audit Query into Tesla's Cybercab deployment. NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison emphasized the agency's responsibility to ensure federal laws are followed despite supporting automated vehicle development. The investigation stems from Tesla's decision to deploy the vehicle without following the proper exemption process, which NHTSA highlighted through the Zoox case.

Ann Carlson, a former acting NHTSA administrator and now UCLA professor, suggests the probe indicates agency frustration with Tesla's approach. Federal investigations can require automakers to change processes or face enforcement actions, including civil penalties. In 2023, Volvo Group North America paid $130 million in penalties after an investigation into its recall process, agreeing to three years of third-party oversight.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has repositioned the company as a robotics and autonomous vehicle firm rather than an automaker. Currently, 45 Cybercabs are in Tesla's Texas fleet, though the company plans to deploy millions annually. This story originally appeared at wired.com.