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Tesla Model 3 spotted with “pedestrian noise maker” ahead of NHTSA mandate
It looks like Tesla may have already begun getting its newer manufactured vehicles ready for compliance with an upcoming National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) requirement for electric and hybrid electric vehicles to make noise when traveling at slow speeds. In a video posted by Tesla community’s resident DIY expert, Erik, or otherwise known as DÆrik from his YouTube channel, the undercarriage panel of his Performance Model 3 has what appears to be a speaker grill – the front paneling is adorned with a series of holes in a hexagonal shape. Once the paneling is removed, three mounting points are revealed to be molded into the same area, hinting at a future device to come.
The video was made in response to inquiries about a photo of the Tesla’s undercarriage posted to Erik’s Instagram account where someone noted the series of holes in the plastic panel below the front bumper. Tesla’s parts catalog doesn’t currently show the grill cutout, but As Erik notes in the video, he found a Model S diagram three years ago showing a layout including a future noise maker labeled “Speaker Pedestrian Noise”.
We’ve reached out to Tesla for comment about the new “speaker grill” found in the underside of the Model 3 and will provide updates as we receive them.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BsYwz0ygTB5/
Blind pedestrians rely heavily on auditory clues to anticipate traffic patterns and know a vehicle is near, and that means the quiet nature of electric and hybrid vehicles at low speeds may pose a greater danger to them than traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. Bicyclists and other pedestrians also utilize usual car sounds as part of their personal safety awareness, so there’s a population of travelers that could be significantly impacted by the influx of EV/HEV vehicles on the roads. The potential danger has not gone unnoticed by those in charge of public safety.
This concern was elevated to the federal level by the NHTSA, and the eventual result was a 2010 law (Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act of 2010) requiring electric and hybrid vehicle manufacturers to install devices which emit noise while traveling slower than about 19 mph. Higher speeds have tire and wind noise that’s sufficient for pedestrian needs. The implementation rules were finalized in February last year, and manufacturers have until September 1, 2020, to be fully compliant, with half of the vehicles equipped by September 1, 2019.
While the proposal may not be popular with all parties involved, the NHTSA points to its October 2009 report entitled “Research on Quieter Cars and the Safety of Blind Pedestrians, a Report to Congress” as a primary basis for its rulemaking. In the report, the agency found an increased rate of accidents involving pedestrians with hybrid-electric vehicles compared to ICE vehicles in roadways and zones with low-speed limits, during the type of weather or any time of day. By implementing the rules as passed, the NHTSA expects to prevent 2,400 injuries and reduce the $250-$320 million costs which result annually due to limited ability to detect quiet EVs/HEVs.
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Another coming requirement is that the noise emitted must be identifiable as a vehicle, a limitation that will likely only inspire creativity. If manufacturers want to take a fun route with the noise options, i.e, license the Jetson family’s flying car sound from Hanna Barbara as suggested by Erik, they’ll have to make sure it’s consistent among their vehicles – or at least consistent among package options. Also, drivers cannot be allowed to modify the sound themselves.
Manufacturers are free to modify the sounds from the factory end, though, an option Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk has previously capitalized on for other noise-centric features in the electric car company’s vehicles. However, letting drivers determine their car’s noise via app or button push is still in the air. The NHTSA will publish a separate document at a later date to determine whether driver-selectable sounds are a good idea, or at least compliant with the purpose of the law.
Watch the video below to see Erik’s Model 3 inspection:
Tesla Cybercab might have just rolled out to the public as it entered the company’s Robotaxi suite in Austin this past week. However, the vehicle might already be on its way to becoming even better, as the company is asking riders to describe what they’d like to see improved with the Cybercab.
Tesla sent a rider experience survey to Cybercab passengers only days after paid rides began in Austin. The questionnaire asks how satisfied riders were with the overall trip. Then it requests star ratings for availability and wait time, door functionality, vehicle touchscreen, mobile app experience, seat comfort, interior space, ride comfort, cleanliness, and cargo space.
A later section asks which features riders would most like to have and allows selection of up to three items from a list that includes heated seats, ventilated seats, fully reclining seats, a tray table, a wireless phone charger, a better sound system, and more storage. Respondents may also choose none of these or write in another idea. The survey closes with a recommendation score from zero to ten.
Tesla just sent out a Cybercab rider experience survey so you can give feedback to the team. pic.twitter.com/YsU5OYdAjW
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) September 8, 2026
This rapid request for input illustrates Tesla’s habit of treating early users as collaborators rather than mere customers. The company has long refined vehicles through software updates and hardware changes informed by real-world use across its passenger cars.
Collecting structured opinions so soon after commercial service started shows the same mindset applied to a purpose-built autonomous taxi. The questions themselves reveal an openness to cabin changes even after the first vehicles reached public streets, which is no surprise.
Tesla has always hoped to cater a great experience to anyone in its vehicles, which is why so many fan-requested features have made it into its vehicles.
Replies already circulating online favor reclining seats, tray tables, wireless charging, improved audio, and extra room when seats fold back.
Tesla Cybercabs narrowly miss deadly Amazon cargo plane crash
Those preferences point toward comfort upgrades that Tesla can implement in later production batches or through cabin revisions. Because the Cybercab is designed around software first principles, many requested amenities can arrive faster than in traditional automakers.
Tesla’s willingness to survey riders immediately after launch therefore makes near-term cabin and experience improvements likely as the team reviews responses and iterates toward a more refined robotaxi people will choose daily.
Tesla Cybertruck Lead Engineer Wes Morrill revealed the company has made several changes to the all-electric pickup, which he calls a “living thing, constantly evolving and improving.”
Cybertruck is manufactured at Tesla’s Gigafactory Texas just outside of Austin, and over the past few years, Tesla has continued to make small changes to the pickup to improve everything from cost, reliability, serviceablility, and manufacturability.
“The finish line isn’t getting to production. A product is a living thing, constantly evolving and improving,” Morrill added.
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Some of those changes are yet to be revealed, but perhaps the most notable one was the change Tesla made to the aero shield that sits underneath the truck. In the past, it was aluminum, but now the Cybertruck is using a self-reinforcing polypropylene.
Morrill said that the polypropylene is “stretched into fibers and then laminated into the form,” and is much more durable, much lighter, and significantly cheaper than aluminum when it is manufactured this way.
It also enabled some improvements in the geometry of the Cybertruck, improving the manufacturing around the bolts and edges, in addition to minor form changes. These all benefitted the Cybertruck in more ways than one: specifically with durability and improved drag.
I was surprised by how interested people were to find out we made a relatively benign change to the Cybertruck aero shield, a part of the car most people never even see. So I’ll share some more details.
Here are two photos, the left is one of the latest trucks off the… pic.twitter.com/F5cZo2CZKf
— Wes (@wmorrill3) September 7, 2026
Typically, Teslas are not necessarily identified by model year because these changes are fluid and occur when the company sees fit to implement them. It is not like other automotive companies, which usually make sweeping manufacturing changes when building a new model year.
Instead, Teslas are recognized by their “generation” or “era.” For example, those with a newer Model Y might refer to their car as a “Juniper.” This is the same with Model 3, as many refer to the new body style as the “Highland.”
Tesla’s manufacturing changes are proof of the company’s constant need to improve its products and move things forward with its vehicles. There is no need to drag one’s feet and wait until next year if the product can be made better right now, and that’s precisely what Tesla did with the Cybertruck.
Elon Musk
Tesla Cybercabs narrowly miss deadly Amazon cargo plane crash
An Amazon cargo plane crash near Miami’s airport stopped feet from dozens of Tesla Cybercabs.
An Amazon Prime Air Boeing 767 cargo jet overran the runway at Miami International Airport on Sunday afternoon, killing five people and injuring five more. The jet, operated by North Carolina based carrier 21 Air as Flight 7598, touched down around 2 p.m. after arriving from San Juan, Puerto Rico, then crossed the airport perimeter, plowed across NW 67th Avenue and struck multiple vehicles before catching fire, according to the Associated Press.
Photos and video from the scene show the aircraft’s nose stopped within meters of a fenced staging lot holding dozens of gold painted Tesla Cybercabs, the steering wheel free robotaxi Tesla began putting on public roads in Austin last week. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue has confirmed the plane struck “multiple vehicles” but has not said whether any Cybercabs were among them, and neither Tesla nor airport officials have addressed the fleet directly.
The Cybercabs had not yet entered commercial service in Miami. Tesla’s existing Robotaxi operation there runs on modified Model Y vehicles and has been unsupervised since Ashok Elluswamy confirmed the detail on X in July.
Footage of the plane crash from earlier today | #ONLYinDADE pic.twitter.com/iGoOtnd6cD
— ONLY in DADE (@ONLYinDADE) September 6, 2026
Elon Musk offered the briefest of reactions. Replying to a Zero Hedge post about the Cybercabs sitting so close to the wreckage, he wrote a single word: “Weird.” He has not commented further, and Tesla has not issued a statement.
The timing puts Tesla’s newest vehicle near an unrelated but highly visible tragedy just days after its Austin debut, a launch that had already drawn scrutiny from federal regulators. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an audit how Tesla certified the Cybercab as compliant with federal vehicle safety standards, a process Teslarati covered after the vehicle’s September 3 launch event. That inquiry concerns the car’s lack of a steering wheel and pedals, not the Miami crash.
Investigators from the FAA and NTSB are focused on the plane, not the parking lot beside it. Flight data reviewed by outlets including Simple Flying show the 767 touched down around 170 knots, well above the 135 to 140 knot range typical for the aircraft, though investigators have not determined a cause. Amazon said it is working with authorities and that its priority is the safety of everyone affected.
Whether any Cybercabs were damaged, and what Tesla plans for the fleet parked near one of the country’s busiest airports, remain open questions.
Tesla Cybercab improvements are already on the minds of company engineers
Tesla Cybertruck engineer reveals new changes in ‘constantly evolving’ pickup
