Tesla's traditional do-it-yourself instinct could be tested by its nationwide robotaxi ambitions. The big picture: Manufacturing self-driving taxis is one thing. Financing, parking, charging, cleaning and maintaining enough of them to blanket the country is another — and Tesla is signaling that it might want entrepreneurs to help shoulder the load.

NHTSA didn't open a Cybercab audit because anyone believes the car is dangerous. It opened one because Tesla, unlike every other company running driverless fleets on public roads, didn't ask for permission first.

Tesla promised that everyone would be able to buy a Cybercab in the future, but the current variant lacks an on-board AC charger, complicating home ownership

Tesla CEO Elon Musk is eyeing his next market for his EV maker’s purpose-built robo-taxi.

As Tesla launches the Cybercab robotaxi in Austin, click to read a comparison of TSLA's progress to that of Alphabet's (GOOG) Waymo.

The Cybercab runs on a single central touchscreen. In the video (below), it's split in two: a control panel on the left, the vehicle's camera view

Firefighters were trained to move the robotaxi with its touchscreen. One captain who took the training says it’s “not the silver bullet” and wants federal standards.

While the Cybercab is currently the only Tesla without manual controls, one passenger discovered that the vehicle has a way to be operated manually despite lacking the traditional hardware for car control.

The virtual controls seemingly appeared accidentally to several riders in the first couple weeks of the Cybercab’s public launch.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an investigation into Elon Musk's Cybercab one day after its launch in Austin, Texas.

Tesla is preparing to show the Cybercab in Japan for the first time, with public displays scheduled in Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya beginning September 11. The Japan tour follows the Cybercab’s commercial introduction in Austin,