Tesla Cybercab Bars Under-13 Riders, Lacks LATCH Anchors as NHTSA Reviews 1,000 Vehicles
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Sep 15
Tesla Cybercab Bars Under-13 Riders, Lacks LATCH Anchors as NHTSA Reviews 1,000 Vehicles
2 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 15
Summary
Tesla’s Cybercab has begun carrying riders in Austin with stricter passenger rules than its Model Y robotaxis: children under 13 are barred, and ages 13 to 17 must ride with an adult.
Tesla also says the two-seat Cybercab has no LATCH or ISOFIX child-seat anchors, so any booster seat must be secured with a seat belt despite some older children still potentially needing one.
Safety features include an overhead emergency Stop button, touchscreen pull-over controls, automatic crash responses and visible mechanical door releases, though Tesla warns an immediate stop may take time and manual release can shatter glass if power is out.
NHTSA opened an audit query covering about 1,000 Cybercabs after the Sept. 3 Austin launch, examining how Tesla certified a vehicle with no steering wheel, pedals or mirrors under federal safety standards.
The review lands as NHTSA separately scrutinizes robotaxi behavior around emergency scenes, underscoring broader pressure on autonomous-vehicle developers to prove they can handle real-world road hazards.