Tesla's Cybercab is already facing a federal investigation, just days after its public debut.
Federal regulators have opened a review into the Cybercab, and they're not looking at a crash or a complaint. They're looking at the paperwork: the process and data Tesla used to self-certify the vehicle as road-legal. Self-certification is standard under U.S. rules — automakers attest their vehicles meet federal safety standards without needing sign-off in advance from regulators. The scrutiny arrived almost as soon as the Cybercab hit public streets, before it's had time to rack up real-world mileage.
Self-certification is a trust-based system, and it works until someone checks the work. A review this early suggests regulators want to verify Tesla's homework before the Cybercab has racked up enough miles for problems to surface on their own. That's a notably different posture than the reactive, after-a-crash investigations that have dogged other robotaxi operators.
For a company that built its reputation on moving fast, a federal review before the wheels have barely turned is its own kind of headline.