Tesla wants its sworn Cybercab answers to NHTSA kept secret

Tesla met an October 30 deadline to answer a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration order requiring sworn explanations of how its steering-wheel-, pedal-, and mirror-free Cybercab complies with federal safety rules. The order followed the start of paid Cybercab rides in Austin and posed 21 questions; incomplete answers could bring civil penalties, while false statements could carry criminal consequences. Tesla had sought an eight-week extension but received only 30 extra days. Its filing asks NHTSA to treat the entire response as confidential. The public docket therefore reveals almost nothing about the company’s certification case: its response letter says the file is confidential, and the detailed answer about compliance testing is also withheld.

The unanswered questions concern rules that appear difficult to reconcile with the vehicle’s design, including requirements for foot-operated brakes, self-canceling turn signals, and mirrors. NHTSA also asked whether Tesla used temporary controls during certification and removed them afterward, and why it did not seek an exemption, as Zoox did. The only substantive public filing is a first-responder guide already available online. It says Cybercabs are not typically equipped with controls, describes test vehicles with steering wheels and pedals, outlines a broad potential operating area, and explains how responders can use touchscreen controls to move a vehicle. It does not explain certification. NHTSA must decide whether Tesla’s confidentiality claim is justified; meanwhile, roughly 1,000 vehicles remain in service as the agency reviews the sealed submission.