Tesla has taken another major step toward its autonomous driving ambitions with the Cybercab, a striking two-seat vehicle designed without one of the most familiar features of any car: a steering wheel.

The futuristic Tesla Cybercab also does away with traditional brake and accelerator pedals, placing the entire driving experience in the hands of autonomous technology. But just as the vehicle begins picking up members of the public in Austin, Texas, it has found itself facing an important question — does a car with no human driving controls meet current US safety rules?

The answer is now being examined by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Tesla Cybercab begins public rides in Austin

The Cybercab’s arrival marks a significant moment for Tesla, which has spent years promoting a future built around self-driving vehicles and autonomous ride-hailing services.

Tesla enthusiasts reportedly gathered in downtown Austin as the company introduced public rides in the driverless vehicle. The Cybercab is expected to play a central role in Tesla’s growing Robotaxi network, which is being developed across selected locations in Texas and Florida.

Unlike a conventional car, however, the Tesla Cybercab has been designed specifically for autonomous transportation. There is no steering wheel waiting for a human driver to take over and no pedals beneath the passenger compartment.

That bold design is exactly what makes the vehicle stand out — and what has now attracted regulatory attention.

US regulators investigate Tesla’s unusual design

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is examining whether the Cybercab complies with federal motor vehicle safety standards.

The challenge for Tesla is that many existing regulations were written for a world where every vehicle had a human sitting behind the wheel.

Traditional safety requirements include equipment that may appear unnecessary in a fully autonomous vehicle, including steering-related controls, brake pedals, windshield wipers and rearview mirrors.

For now, however, many of those long-standing rules remain in effect.

Federal regulators are working on updates to vehicle safety standards to make it easier for genuinely driverless vehicles to operate legally on public roads. The changes could eventually reshape how autonomous cars are designed and approved in the United States.

A big test for Tesla’s Robotaxi ambitions

For Tesla, the Cybercab is more than just another electric vehicle. It represents the company’s vision of a future where passengers can summon a car without needing anyone in the driver’s seat.

The vehicle is expected to operate as part of Tesla’s autonomous ride-hailing ecosystem, potentially competing with other companies working on driverless transportation services.

But the timing of the federal investigation shows just how difficult the transition to fully autonomous mobility could be.

Technology may be moving faster than regulations, and companies such as Tesla now face the challenge of proving that radically different vehicles can operate safely within rules originally designed for conventional cars.

The road ahead for the Cybercab

Tesla’s decision to launch the Cybercab publicly while regulators examine its compliance will make the vehicle one of the most closely watched autonomous transportation projects in the world.

Supporters see the Cybercab as a glimpse of the future — a purpose-built Robotaxi that could change urban transportation. Critics and regulators, meanwhile, are likely to focus on a simpler question: what happens when the technology encounters a situation where there is no steering wheel and no human driver ready to intervene?

The Cybercab’s journey has only just begun, but one thing is already clear: Tesla‘s most futuristic vehicle is entering the real world under intense scrutiny.

Whether it becomes a breakthrough moment for autonomous transport or a major regulatory challenge could shape the future of driverless cars far beyond Austin.

Ford is taking one of its most recognisable SUV names into electrified territory.

The American automaker has officially confirmed the Ford Bronco Basecamp, its first electrified Bronco, for Australia and New Zealand. The new SUV is scheduled to arrive in both markets during the second half of 2027.

But this is not a conventional hybrid—and it is not a typical petrol-powered SUV either.

The Bronco Basecamp will use what Ford describes as a “super-hybrid” system, built around electric motors and a large battery, with a petrol engine playing a very different role from the one buyers might expect.

A petrol engine that does not drive the wheels

The biggest talking point of the Bronco Basecamp is its range-extender electric powertrain.

The SUV uses dual electric motors powered by a usable 49kWh battery. Supporting the battery is a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine, but there is an important difference—the petrol engine does not directly power the wheels.

Instead, it works purely as an onboard generator, producing electricity to help extend the vehicle’s overall driving range.

That means the driving experience remains fundamentally electric, while the petrol engine helps reduce concerns about running out of charge on longer journeys.

For drivers who like the idea of an EV but remain worried about charging infrastructure during road trips or remote travel, the concept could offer an interesting middle ground.

Up to 900km of claimed range

According to Ford, the Bronco Basecamp is expected to deliver a combined driving range of approximately 800km to 900km on the WLTP test cycle.

That is a substantial figure for an SUV carrying the Bronco badge, particularly considering the vehicle is designed around electrified propulsion rather than a traditional combustion-only setup.

Ford has not yet confirmed a separate official electric-only driving range for the Australian market.

However, overseas information suggests that the Bronco Basecamp could potentially travel more than 190km using electric power alone before the petrol generator is required to support the system.

The final specifications for Australia and New Zealand could differ, so buyers will have to wait for closer-to-launch confirmation.

Ford’s ‘super-hybrid’ could appeal to adventurous buyers

The Ford Bronco name has long been associated with adventure and rugged capability.

That makes the Basecamp’s powertrain particularly interesting.

Traditional electric vehicles can offer strong performance and quiet driving, but charging availability can become a concern when travelling far away from major cities. A range-extender setup attempts to address that problem by combining battery-powered driving with an onboard source of electricity.

For Australian and New Zealand buyers who regularly travel long distances, the Bronco Basecamp’s claimed 800-900km combined range could be one of its strongest selling points.

The system also represents a different approach to electrification from conventional hybrids, where a petrol engine can directly help drive the wheels.

Australia and New Zealand to get the new Bronco in 2027

Ford has confirmed that the Bronco Basecamp will become a new model line for the brand in Australia and New Zealand.

The local launch is currently planned for the second half of 2027.

While there is still plenty of time before the SUV reaches dealerships, Ford’s confirmation gives buyers an early look at how the company plans to expand the Bronco family.

Electrification is becoming increasingly important across the global automotive industry, but different markets have different needs. The Bronco Basecamp appears designed for customers who want the benefits of electric driving without relying entirely on public charging infrastructure for long-distance travel.

Is this the best of both worlds?

That may ultimately be the biggest question surrounding the new Bronco Basecamp.

A large 49kWh battery, dual electric motors and a petrol generator could provide an appealing compromise between conventional petrol SUVs and fully electric vehicles.

The electric motors handle the driving, while the petrol engine steps in only to generate electricity when additional range is needed.

On paper, that gives the SUV the quiet and responsive character associated with electric propulsion while also providing extra confidence for longer trips.

Of course, pricing, performance, off-road capability and final market specifications will play a major role in determining how successful the Bronco Basecamp becomes.

For now, one thing is clear: Ford is preparing to give the iconic Bronco a very different kind of powertrain—and a claimed range of up to 900km could make plenty of people take notice.

With its Australian and New Zealand arrival still more than a year away, the Ford Bronco Basecamp will be a vehicle worth watching as the industry searches for new ways to bridge the gap between petrol power and full electrification.

Tesla has taken one of its boldest steps yet toward a fully autonomous future, rolling out paid rides in its futuristic Cybercab robotaxi—a vehicle designed without a conventional steering wheel, pedals or mirrors.

But just as the golden, butterfly-door vehicle began attracting attention on the streets of Austin, Texas, a major regulatory question emerged.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said it had opened an audit involving around 1,000 Cybercab vehicles to examine how Tesla determined that the unconventional cars comply with federal vehicle-safety requirements.

The development puts Elon Musk and Tesla on a potentially difficult collision course with regulators—and raises a much bigger question: Can a car built without traditional driving controls legally become a mainstream vehicle on American roads?

Tesla’s Cybercab arrives with a radically different design

The Cybercab is central to Musk’s ambitious plan to transform Tesla from primarily an electric-car manufacturer into a company focused heavily on artificial intelligence, robotics and autonomous transportation.

Unlike a conventional vehicle, the Cybercab has no steering wheel for a human driver to grab in an emergency. There are no pedals and no traditional mirrors either.

Instead, Tesla is betting that its autonomous driving technology can handle the entire journey.

The futuristic two-seat vehicle, with its distinctive golden exterior and butterfly-style doors, represents perhaps the clearest example yet of Musk’s long-standing belief that self-driving technology will eventually replace human drivers in many forms of transportation.

Tesla has already been operating a limited paid robotaxi service using its popular Tesla Model Y vehicles in Texas and Florida.

Those vehicles, however, still have conventional manual controls and, in some cases, human backup drivers.

The Cybercab takes the concept several steps further.

NHTSA moves quickly after Tesla’s rollout

Just hours after Tesla marked the Cybercab rollout in downtown Austin, the NHTSA announced that it was examining approximately 1,000 of the vehicles.

The issue lies in the fact that many existing federal vehicle-safety standards were created decades ago with human drivers in mind.

Those standards generally assume that vehicles will have equipment such as steering controls and other manual driving systems.

That creates a complicated regulatory challenge for Tesla.

In the United States, automakers generally have the ability to self-certify that their vehicles comply with federal safety requirements before placing them on public roads.

Unlike some countries, manufacturers do not necessarily need to receive advance approval from regulators for every new vehicle model.

Critics argue that this system could create a major grey area for a vehicle as unconventional as the Cybercab.

“Tesla historically has tested limits and pushed boundaries”

Autonomous-vehicle experts believe Tesla’s history of aggressively challenging conventional industry expectations could play an important role in what happens next.

Philip Koopman, an engineering professor at Carnegie Mellon University and an autonomous-vehicle safety expert, suggested that Tesla could test the limits of existing regulations.

“Tesla historically has tested limits and pushed boundaries on regulations,” Koopman said.

That approach has become a defining feature of Musk’s companies.

From electric vehicles and reusable rockets to satellite internet and artificial intelligence, Musk has repeatedly pursued technologies that move faster than the regulatory systems created to govern them.

The Cybercab could now become another major example.

Can a car without pedals legally meet safety standards?

The biggest challenge for Tesla is straightforward: federal safety regulations were largely written for vehicles operated by humans.

A car with no steering wheel or pedals appears fundamentally different from the vehicles those rules were originally designed to regulate.

Michael Brooks, executive director of the Center for Auto Safety, questioned whether the Cybercab could reasonably be considered compliant with the existing Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.

Meanwhile, regulators are working on changes that could eventually make it easier for genuinely driverless vehicles to operate commercially.

However, creating and implementing new regulations can take years.

Tesla, on the other hand, appears eager to move now.

That difference in timing could become the heart of the coming battle.

Tesla says its self-driving technology is getting safer

Tesla has consistently defended its autonomous-driving technology and said versions of its Full Self-Driving software are designed to improve road safety.

The company has argued that its technology can perform significantly more safely than human drivers under certain conditions.

Tesla’s Austin robotaxi service has also operated without a reported fatal accident.

However, questions remain about how reliably autonomous systems can handle the enormous variety of situations encountered on public roads.

Former employees and safety experts have raised concerns about the challenges self-driving systems can face during complicated or unexpected driving situations.

Bryant Walker Smith, a law professor at the University of South Carolina who focuses on autonomous-driving regulation, questioned whether publicly available information demonstrates that Tesla is ready to deploy a fully automated vehicle without conventional controls across a broad range of conditions.

For Tesla, proving that the technology works consistently may be just as important as winning the regulatory argument.

A possible legal battle could be coming

Vehicles that do not fully comply with existing federal safety standards can apply for special exemptions through the NHTSA.

But those exemptions can limit how many vehicles an automaker is allowed to deploy each year.

Tesla’s engineering chief Lars Moravy has previously suggested that the Cybercab would not face such a deployment cap, though the details of Tesla’s regulatory strategy remain unclear.

That uncertainty has fueled speculation about whether Tesla is relying on self-certification to put the Cybercab on public roads.

The situation has similarities to another autonomous-vehicle company.

Zoox, owned by Amazon, previously faced regulatory scrutiny over its own driverless vehicle, which also lacks conventional driving controls.

Zoox initially attempted to self-certify its vehicle before regulatory intervention led to changes in its approach. The company later received federal approval for limited commercial deployment.

Tesla’s path could prove considerably more contentious.

Former NHTSA officials have suggested that a serious disagreement over Tesla’s self-certification could eventually end up in court.

And history shows that regulatory agencies do not always win those legal battles.

Elon Musk’s biggest transportation gamble yet?

The Cybercab is much more than another Tesla vehicle.

It represents a massive bet on Musk’s belief that the future of transportation will be dominated by autonomous machines.

Tesla’s market valuation—around $1.4 trillion according to the information surrounding the rollout—reflects the enormous expectations investors have placed on that future.

Musk has promised that Cybercab production will grow rapidly, and Tesla previously suggested the vehicle could eventually be sold for less than $30,000.

But before millions of driverless Cybercabs can realistically fill American streets, Tesla may first have to answer some difficult questions.

Are existing safety rules flexible enough to accommodate a vehicle without a steering wheel?

Can Tesla legally self-certify the Cybercab?

And perhaps most importantly: Is the technology truly ready for the unpredictable reality of public roads?

For now, Tesla’s Cybercab rollout has delivered exactly what many expected from Elon Musk—an ambitious technological leap, enormous public attention and a fresh confrontation with the limits of regulation.

The robotaxi revolution may have arrived in Austin, but the battle over who gets to decide when it is ready for the rest of America may only just be beginning.