Tesla launched Cybercab autonomous taxis in Austin, Texas—a dual-seat, steering-wheel-free vehicle using only cameras and neural networks for navigation. The U.S. NHTSA immediately opened an investigation into the ~1,000-unit deployment, questioning Tesla's self-certification that the vehicle meets federal safety standards and whether certain standards apply to a fully autonomous design. This echoes a 2022 case with Amazon-owned Zoox, which ultimately received a temporary exemption. The move positions Tesla as the second U.S. company offering purpose-built autonomous robotaxi service, competing directly with Waymo, Zoox, Uber, and Lyft—though production capacity and market rollout timelines remain far behind CEO Elon Musk's earlier promises.