Tesla is facing a federal investigation in the United States following the commercial deployment of its new Cybercab robotaxis in Austin, Texas 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an investigation into whether Tesla properly certified the driverless vehicles as meeting federal safety standards. 

The investigation comes immediately after the company began putting the vehicles into commercial service. 

The Cybercab is significantly different from conventional cars because it does not have a steering wheel or traditional driver controls.

 Tesla has designed the vehicle specifically for autonomous transportation, with the intention that passengers can ride without a human driver operating the vehicle.

According to the U.S. regulator, Tesla self-certified the Cybercabs as complying with applicable federal motor-vehicle safety standards.

The investigation will examine the technical information and certification process used by Tesla and determine whether the company correctly concluded that certain existing safety requirements did not apply to the vehicle. 

The investigation could become important for Tesla’s wider robotaxi ambitions. 

Chief Executive Elon Musk has repeatedly identified autonomous vehicles as a major part of the company’s future business strategy, and the company wants to expand the Cybercab beyond its initial deployment in Austin.

For now, the regulator has not announced that the Cybercab is unsafe or ordered Tesla to stop its service.

Instead, the investigation is intended to determine whether the vehicles were properly certified under current U.S. rules. 

The outcome could influence how quickly Tesla is able to expand its driverless taxi business. 

Sources: Reuters, NHTSA, Los Angeles Times