Zoox asked NHTSA for permission and got it. Tesla certified itself, and now has a federal investigation.

Tesla’s Cybercab, a two-seat robotaxi without a steering wheel, brake, accelerator or mirrors, prompted an NHTSA investigation into Tesla’s self-certification for up to 1,000 units after the agency found no exemption petition. Amazon-owned Zoox received a limited-deployment exemption for its steering-wheel-free robotaxi in July, and NHTSA plans to propose eliminating the brake-pedal requirement for fully automated vehicles later this year. Tesla’s shares dropped roughly 6% after the update and probe.