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https://www.slashgear.com/2204680/dot-law-change-no-brake-pedals-self-driving-cars/
Autonomous vehicles have been a big talking point in the United States as Waymo spreads to more cities and Tesla's Cybercab service launch looms overhead. In June 2026, the Department of Transportation (DOT) proposed changes to federal regulations that would allow the growing number of autonomous vehicles in the United States to forgo brake pedals.
As it stands, automakers building autonomous vehicles without brake pedals or other components must request an exemption from the federal government — and if granted, these vehicles must be limited to 2,500 per year. This proposed change will get autonomous vehicles on the road faster, with fewer obstacles. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is on board, with Administrator Jonathan Morrison stating that autonomous vehicles are the greatest innovation "since the Model T."
"NHTSA is tearing down pointless barriers to innovative designs while strengthening the fundamental safety requirements that matter and holding AV developers accountable for safe performance," Morrison said (via TechCrunch). The public has until July 27th to comment on the proposal before the DOT officially approves these changes.
Right now, most autonomous vehicles have a steering wheel, accelerator, and brake pedals, but even popular brands like Waymo have been considering ditching these components — federal regulations are the only thing in the way. One company that would benefit greatly from the DOT's changes is Tesla, given the upcoming Cybercab.
Currently, Tesla's robotaxi service has remained a small operation in Austin, Texas, with human monitors in the front seat. CEO Elon Musk has repeatedly blamed regulatory red tape for the delayed rollout of the Cybercab, which was first revealed at the "We, Robot" event in 2024. The NHTSA has been consistently investigating Tesla's Full Self-Driving mode for false claims and possible shortcomings, which could be prolonging the process. California has also claimed that FSD is engaging in false advertising and demanded that it change the name.
Early Cybercab prototypes featured no steering wheel or pedals, as well as a cabin with just two rear seats. The first production Cybercab came out of the Giga Texas facility in April 2026, despite a delay in the unsupervised driving feature. Now, a new Tesla document states that the controversial vehicle typically won't have a steering wheel, accelerator, or brake pedals. This means Tesla will need DOT's changes to go through to avoid more delays in its Cybercab services.
(Score: 1, Troll) by DadaDoofy on Monday July 06, @08:36PM (1 child)
Why does the title of TFS single out a specific brand when the law applies to all autonomous vehicles sold in the United States?
Of course, we all know the answer to that. The editors here, who no doubt suffer from fourth-stage MDS, have time and time again let their obvious personal biases dictate their ongoing editorial crusade against the world's richest African American. The astonishing thing is that they don't seem to be the least bit embarrassed about it, as they continue unabashed.
(Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 06, @09:02PM
The editors didn't write the title, and if you'd bothered to click through to the original article, you'd have noticed that. And the story was processed by one of the bots, so the bot isn't going to change the title, either. But you didn't bother to check on any of this. That's because your goal isn't to discuss technology in good faith but to astroturf this site with bad faith right-wing bullshit wherever you can.
It's not the job of the editors to rewrite story titles. If you don't like what the bots process or what other users submit, get off your lazy crybaby ass and submit a few stories that you think are better. I look at the submissions queue regularly, and I don't see any stories from you. In fact, the last story you've had run on this site was from over three years ago, and it's the only one. Incidentally, that story had a poorly-written and misleading title about the value of "natural immunity" acquired from COVID infections versus being immunized with COVID vaccines. Funny how that works.
If you don't like the title, stop whinging and submit better stories instead of hurling false allegations of bias. Grow up.