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Will Tesla's self-driving taxis have steering wheels and pedals? Musk won't say.

Overnight, Musk dodged several questions on an earnings call about the status of the company's long-promised self-driving car, including whether it would have traditional controls like pedals and a steering wheel.

The question is critical to Tesla's much-anticipated RoboTaxi program, which has been delayed to allow for more prototyping work.In theory, it could take months or even years for a vehicle without a steering wheel and pedals to be approved for use on public roads.By contrast, vehicles with more traditional controls may be available sooner.

Radical design requires federal approval

Tesla acknowledged in its letter to shareholders that it does need federal approval to deploy its more radically designed robotaxis.

While the timing of RoboTaxi deployment depends on technological advancement and regulatory approval, we are actively pursuing this opportunity given its significant potential value.

However, when asked what specific approvals Tesla would seek, Musk declined to provide details.

Specifically, he dodged a question about whether Tesla would seek an exemption from Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) to deploy vehicles without traditional controls.He responded by comparing Tesla's "general solution" to Waymo's more "localized" solution, which he called "quite fragile."

“Our solution is a universal solution that can be used everywhere,” he added. “It can even work on another planet.

Previously, Tesla had "accidentally" revealed the design of a new model in a video. Many sharp-eyed netizens discovered that this is a two-seater car without a steering wheel and pedals, and the center console screen design is similar to Tesla's current models on sale. Netizens suspected that the car shown in the video was RoboTaxi.

Currently, FMVSS require cars to have basic human controls, such as steering wheels, pedals, and side-view mirrors. These standards dictate how vehicles must be designed before they can be sold in the United States. If a proposed new vehicle does not meet all existing FMVSS, manufacturers can apply for an exemption. However, the government only allows 2,500 exemptions per company per year.

In theory, the exemption cap would prevent any self-driving company, including Tesla, from deploying purpose-built self-driving cars on a large scale. Self-driving car advocates are trying to remove the cap through legislation to allow more driverless cars on the road, but the bill has stalled over concerns about liability and readiness for the technology.

How do other companies overcome this?

So far, only one company has received an FMVSS exemption: Nuro. The company has used these exemptions to deploy a small number of driverless delivery robots in Texas and California. GM's Cruise had requested an exemption for its Origin self-driving taxis, which have no steering wheels or pedals, but was never granted one, and now the project has been shelved indefinitely. Amazon's Zoox said its self-driving taxis are "self-certified," prompting the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to begin an investigation into what that means.

Other companies have chosen to bypass the exemption process entirely. Waymo’s self-driving cars are all equipped with traditional controls, even though they operate on public roads without safety drivers. The company has said it will eventually launch a steering wheel-less car, but has not said when or if it will seek an FMVSS exemption.

All of this suggests that Tesla would face similar regulatory hurdles if it decided to ditch traditional controls, a possible hint that some design drawings show a vehicle without a steering wheel.

Some critics have been dismissive of Tesla's Robotaxi progress, pointing out that Waymo is providing nearly 50,000 rides to passengers each week while Musk is still making vague promises about vehicles that may never exist.

Musk is clearly betting big on Tesla, which he has repeatedly emphasized is an artificial intelligence company, not just a traditional car company. However, he is reluctant to disclose the practical obstacles the company may face in realizing this vision.

The answer may have to wait until the RoboTaxi launch event in October, or even later.