The U.S. Department of Transportation plans to eliminate the requirement for brake pedals on Robotaxis, potentially removing regulatory barriers for Tesla and Waymo.

Glonghui June 26th｜The US Department of Transportation plans to amend the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), proposing that vehicles designed for fully autonomous driving will no longer be required to be equipped with brake pedals dedicated to human drivers. Current US regulations mandate that cars retain traditional manual control devices, making it difficult for dedicated self-driving models without steering wheels or pedals to be approved for market entry. Experts believe this move aims to remove regulatory barriers and lower the legal threshold for the large-scale deployment of robo-taxis such as Tesla Cybercab and Waymo. NHTSA stated that this proposal is part of modernizing vehicle safety standards, and more related adjustments may be introduced in the future. However, whether requirements for other equipment, such as steering wheels, will also be eased remains undecided. NHTSA emphasized that removing the brake pedal requirement does not mean relaxing braking safety standards, as strict regulations on braking distance and other performance requirements must still be met.