NHTSA proposes removing brake pedal requirement for driverless vehicles

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NHTSA wants to remove brake pedal requirements for driverless vehicles.

Human-driven vehicles would still keep existing braking requirements.

Tesla and Zoox stand to benefit from the proposed regulation changes.

Autonomous vehicles (AVs) are still, evidently, the future, but there are certain hurdles that need to be overcome first. Opening up the path to a future full of AVs seems to include removing physical controls. Now, the federal government is taking a step in that direction. The NHTSA has just proposed a new rule that would eliminate the requirement for manual brake controls in vehicles designed to operate exclusively with automated driving systems.

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More: Zoox Unveils Its Production-Intent Robotaxi, Arrives Later This Year

If approved, the move would clear one of the biggest regulatory hurdles standing between companies like Tesla and purpose-built robotaxis and large-scale deployment. The proposal is part of the Trump Administration’s Automated Vehicle Framework. It exists to modernize Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards written around the idea that every car has a human driver. That said, this isn’t greenlighting a situation where AVs have lower braking performance requirements.

Same Standards, Different Testing

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Autonomous vehicles would still have to meet the same stopping-distance standards as conventional vehicles, just through alternative testing methods. Likewise, vehicles that retain steering wheels and pedals would continue to be subject to the current rules. The real change here is building a pathway so that companies that want to build vehicles without pedals can do so with the knowledge that testing will be lawful.

The agency says it is simultaneously working on broader performance standards for autonomous driving systems and will continue investigating defects, unsafe behavior, and recalls involving self-driving technology.

What It Means For Tesla And Zoox

The change could be particularly significant for Tesla. The automaker’s Cybercab concept was designed from the start without a steering wheel or pedals, but current regulations have put its future into question.

Tesla has instead focused on launching a limited robotaxi service in Austin while waiting for regulations to evolve. It’s also said that it can add a steering wheel and pedals if it absolutely has to . Zoox, meanwhile, has already secured exemptions allowing it to test its purpose-built robotaxi and is seeking approval for commercial operation.

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The proposal now enters a 30-day public comment period. If finalized, it could mark another major milestone in transforming autonomous vehicles from heavily regulated exceptions into products built around an entirely different set of assumptions than the cars most of us drive today.

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Photos: Tesla