Cybercab production may include some added hardware

Cybercab production

Two days ago, I posted on the upcoming Tesla Cybercab asking primarily about liability. I also alluded to some hearsay that Cybercab production could not begin because they did not yet have regulatory approval.

I was told that this came from a CNBC interview, but it turns out that there was discussion by Tesla Board Chair Robyn Denholm about Cybercab, but with Bloomberg (you will need a subscription to access the link).

In the interview she acknowledges the regulatory hurdles but states flatly that “If we have to have a steering wheel, it can have a steering wheel and pedals.”

Otherwise, Tesla will only be able to put 2,500 Cybercabs on the road per year through a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) temporary exemption process, which allows vehicles that don’t meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards to be put on U.S. roads.

Adding the hardware will allow the car to be made more widely available, hardware that owners can ignore.

Curiously, Denholm added that the “original Model Y was not going to have a steering wheel, or pedals.” That vehicle hit the streets in 2020, and we can’t imagine anyone believing that Autopilot was remotely ready to handle everyday driving everywhere. The current version is not considered ready either.

And I think it’s time we chased Tesla for an answer on liability. It didn’t come up with Ms. Denholm…

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