Tesla's Cybercab starts carrying riders in Austin. Federal regulators opened a review the same day.

Previously

Tesla launched supervised Model Y robotaxi rides in Austin in June 2025 (Part 1), began some rides with no monitor inside in January 2026 (Part 3), and by July 2026 listed service in six cities, with few unsupervised cars visible on trackers (Part 4).

AUSTIN, Texas, September 2026 — Tesla's purpose-built robotaxi is now giving rides. Here's what changed since Part 4 (July 2026), what it cost, and what went wrong.

Cost and outcome (as of September 2026)

Vehicles authorized in Texas: 314 driverless vehicles, 45 of them Cybercabs, per The New York Times as cited by Engadget. (Engadget)
Where: Cybercab only in Austin; riders can't choose one. (Engadget)
Federal review: NHTSA audit query AQ26002, opened Sept. 3, into vehicles that "lack permanently attached, conventional manual controls." (NHTSA)
Deadline: sworn response due Sept. 30; penalties up to $27,874 a day for failing to respond fully. (NHTSA)
Fares, rides and safety data: not disclosed by Tesla.

The launch

On Sept. 3, NHTSA wrote, "Tesla began commercial deployment with a small number of its Cybercab vehicles in Austin, Texas." Members of the public could hail one from 5 p.m. Central on Friday, Sept. 4, InsideEVs reported, citing a Tesla post on X.

Riders book through Tesla's Robotaxi app, Engadget reported. The app covers Austin, Dallas, Houston, Miami, Orlando and Tampa, but the Cybercab option appeared only in Austin, and which car arrives depends on availability and group size. The Cybercab seats two on a bench, with a large central touchscreen.

Tesla is authorized to operate 314 vehicles without a driver in Texas, mostly Model Ys, The New York Times noted, according to Engadget. Only 45 are Cybercabs, and it isn't clear how many carry riders and how many are for testing. Tesla owns the Austin Cybercabs but is taking inquiries from people who want to help it "build its robotaxi network," Engadget reported. When Tesla unveiled the model, Musk said he envisioned people owning several Cybercabs and managing fleets that earn money on a ride-hailing network, Engadget noted. The inquiry form indicates "it'll initially sell them to companies that can purchase whole fleets," Engadget wrote.

What NHTSA is asking

NHTSA opened audit query AQ26002 the same day, prompted by "Public Information." Its resume says Tesla notified the agency that it certified the Cybercabs as compliant with all applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, and plans to "gradually expand" to more vehicles and locations. The vehicles "lack permanently attached, conventional manual controls, such as a brake pedal, gas pedal, steering wheel, and mirrors," NHTSA wrote. NHTSA said it will consider "the extent to which Tesla's certification depended on determinations that certain FMVSS are inapplicable to the Cybercab."

On Sept. 10, NHTSA Chief Counsel Peter Simshauser signed a Special Order. It asks Tesla for the total number of Cybercabs, where they operate or will operate, their operating limits, and its plans to scale. It asks whether temporarily attached human driver controls were part of Tesla's basis for certification, and how removing them squares with the law's "make inoperative" prohibition. Answers must be signed under oath by Sept. 30. Failing to respond fully can bring civil penalties of up to $27,874 a day, to a maximum of $139,356,994. A responsible Tesla officer must sign an affidavit vouching for the answers, and falsifying or withholding information can bring a fine or up to 15 years in prison, or both.

What's changed

Tesla has moved from modified Model Ys to a car without permanently attached manual controls. The Department of Transportation has proposed dropping the brake-pedal requirement for cars designed to be autonomous, TechCrunch reported in July, but that proposal is not yet a rule.

What went wrong

Certification is under review. The audit isn't a recall or a finding, but it questions the legal basis for operating the car.
The fleet is small and unclear. Tesla hasn't said how many Cybercabs carry paying riders.
What we don't know yet: Tesla's answers to NHTSA, fares, ride volumes and any safety incidents involving the Cybercab.

Our follow-up question for Tesla

Did Tesla rely on temporarily installed driver controls when certifying the Cybercab, and how many Cybercabs carry paying riders?

Later developments (added Oct. 2026)

On Oct. 3, CNBC reported that Texas records showed 169 Cybercabs authorized for commercial use as of Oct. 2, up from 45 at launch, plus 420 Model Ys. Paying riders complained of long waits, wrong pickup and drop-off spots, and doors or trunks closing improperly. An NHTSA spokesperson told CNBC that Tesla obtained an extension to the Sept. 30 deadline. In Texas, Waymo had 1,154 vehicles authorized, CNBC reported. (CNBC)
A Sept. 29 NHTSA memo to file says Tesla asked on Sept. 18 for an eight-week extension, to Nov. 20, citing "the voluminous nature of the request." NHTSA granted 30 days on Sept. 22, setting a new due date of Oct. 30, 2026 (NHTSA).
On Oct. 21, TechCrunch reported that Tesla said it will start selling Cybercabs by year-end. Lars Moravy, Tesla's vice president of engineering, said it will "mainly deliver fully designed autonomous vehicles to our customers," starting small. Musk said "the vast majority of the Cybercab stuff will be essentially Tesla-owned and transported as a service." (TechCrunch)

Sources

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, OVSC Resume, AQ26002, “Tesla Cybercab FMVSS Certification,” opened Sept. 3, 2026. static.nhtsa.gov
NHTSA, Special Order Directed to Tesla, Inc., AQ26002, dated Sept. 10, 2026. static.nhtsa.gov
Mariella Moon, Engadget, “Tesla starts offering Cybercab robotaxi rides,” Sept. 4, 2026. engadget.com
Iulian Dnistran, InsideEVs, “Tesla's Cybercab Is Finally Giving Paid Robotaxi Rides,” Sept. 4, 2026. insideevs.com
Sean O'Kane, TechCrunch, “Tesla spins up robotaxi pilots in Orlando and Tampa ahead of Q2 earnings,” July 21, 2026. techcrunch.com
Lora Kolodny, CNBC, “Tesla's Cybercab had a rocky first month in Austin. Now comes the hard part: expanding,” Oct. 3, 2026. cnbc.com
NHTSA, Memorandum to file, “Special Order Response Extension,” AQ26002, Sept. 29, 2026 (accessed Oct. 26, 2026). static.nhtsa.gov
Kirsten Korosec, TechCrunch, “Tesla says it will start selling Cybercabs by end of year,” Oct. 21, 2026. techcrunch.com
Earlier in this series: Part 1. /case/tesla-robotaxi-austin
Earlier in this series: Part 2. /case/tesla-robotaxi-bay-area
Earlier in this series: Part 3. /case/tesla-robotaxi-no-monitor
Earlier in this series: Part 4. /case/tesla-robotaxi-new-cities

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