Elon Musk's gilded robot car barely made it onto public roads before federal regulators decided it might be a bit too bare for the law. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened an audit query into the Tesla Cybercab to examine just how Tesla convinced itself the vehicle was street-legal without such quaint features as side mirrors, pedals, and a steering wheel - all of which are, you know, required under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS).

NHTSA's notice says it will consider "the extent to which Tesla's certification depended on determinations that certain FMVSS are inapplicable to the Cybercab." Tesla apparently didn't bother seeking an exemption, which is a bold move. The investigation covers an estimated 1,000 Cybercabs, though it's unclear if that many even exist - Tesla has only 45 registered with the Texas DMV. But hey, why let a little thing like inventory get in the way of a grand launch party? Tesla held a private event in Austin to celebrate, with plans to deploy the Cybercab in other cities under its Robotaxi service and eventually sell it to individuals for a cool $30,000.

In the US, automakers self-certify that their vehicles meet all applicable FMVSS rules. If they introduce a vehicle with glaring omissions, NHTSA can launch an investigation into that self-certification. This doesn't stop production, but it does cast a shadow over the vehicle's future. Just ask Amazon's Zoox, which launched its steering-wheel-free autonomous shuttle in 2024 with similar claims of compliance. NHTSA investigated, and Zoox was restricted to demonstration-only operations for two years - it couldn't charge fares until just this past July.

The big question now: will Tesla be allowed to charge for Cybercab rides while under investigation? Musk is famously chummy with the Trump administration, but less so with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who oversees NHTSA - Musk has reportedly called him "Sean Dummy." So don't expect any favors despite Musk's status as a major GOP donor.

This isn't Tesla's only NHTSA headache - the agency is also probing 3.2 million vehicles with Full Self-Driving over potential recall issues. But this latest investigation fits Musk's modus operandi perfectly: seek forgiveness rather than permission when your products skirt the rules.