Elon Musk's Cybercab has no steering wheel, pedals or mirrors; US safety regulators open audit of about 1

US safety regulators have initiated an audit of an estimated one million vehicles manufactured by Elon Musk's companies. This action comes as the absence of traditional driving controls like steering wheels, pedals, and mirrors in some of his vehicles raises questions about their compliance with established safety standards. The focus appears to be on autonomous driving capabilities and how they intersect with current federal motor vehicle safety regulations.

The audit signifies a critical juncture in the integration of advanced autonomous technology into public transportation and personal vehicles. For years, the automotive industry has operated under a framework designed for human-driven cars. The emergence of vehicles with fundamentally different operational interfaces challenges this framework, necessitating a thorough review by agencies like the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to ensure public safety and define regulatory pathways for future innovation.