Tesla has taken one of the most concrete steps towards its driverless transportation goal. The two-seater Cybercab, which lacks a steering wheel and pedals, has begun to be used for paid rides in the US.
Tesla announced that it has started paid rides with the Cybercab, which lacks a steering wheel and traditional controls that allow for direct driver intervention. The company began producing the vehicle at its Austin, Texas factory in July. In the initial phase, a significant portion of Cybercabs is expected to be purchased directly by Tesla for use in its Robotaxi fleet.
Steer-by-Wire Cybercab Hits the Roads
The two-seater vehicle can be summoned for daily transportation and various tasks. Tesla states that in addition to space for two passengers, there is also room for luggage, golf clubs, scooters, and similar items.
The Cybercab's general public release is not expected to happen anytime soon. The absence of a steering wheel and other physical driving controls significantly complicates the vehicle's legal operation by individual users in the US.
Eight Cameras, No Radar or LiDAR
Introduced in 2024, the Cybercab was designed as a two-seater sedan. It uses eight cameras to perceive its surroundings and perform its driving functions.
Unlike many rival robotaxis, Tesla does not include radar and LiDAR sensors in the Cybercab. The vehicle also lacks a steering wheel, pedals, and traditional side mirrors.
Technically, the Cybercab stands out as Tesla's lightest and most range-efficient vehicle produced to date. According to documents submitted to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the car features a single, front-mounted electric motor producing 219 horsepower. The front-wheel-drive vehicle uses a compact 48 kWh battery operating at 326 volts.
The Cybercab's curb weight is approximately 1,412 kilograms. This figure is about 318 kilograms lighter than the lightest version of the current Model 3.
Lagging Behind Waymo in Robotaxis
The deployment of the Cybercab marks a significant stage in Tesla's autonomous driving strategy. However, the company's robotaxi fleet lags behind its competitors.
Tesla has 314 vehicles authorized to provide driverless paid ride services in the state of Texas. While most of these vehicles are Model Ys, the fleet includes 45 Cybercabs. These are currently operating only in Austin. However, it is unknown whether all 314 vehicles are actively used for taxi services.
According to Robotaxi Tracker data, with the addition of Cybercabs, Tesla's number of unsupervised autonomous vehicles operating in six cities has reached 256. In contrast, Waymo, part of Alphabet, provides paid autonomous ride services with approximately 4,000 vehicles in 14 cities.
In Texas, Tesla's fleet also lags behind Waymo's more than 700 vehicles and Avride's 344 Hyundai Ioniq 5s. Tesla's Robotaxi service currently operates in six US cities, including Austin, Dallas, Houston, and Miami.
Humans Are Still Part of the System
Although the Cybercab is steer-by-wire and pedal-less, Tesla's autonomous transportation system is not entirely uncrewed. Like Waymo, Amazon's Zoox, and other robotaxi companies, Tesla vehicles are monitored by teams providing remote human support.
When a software error occurs, personnel at the command center can intervene in the system. Vehicle cleaning and maintenance are also performed by humans.
Tesla has also started collecting applications from those interested in purchasing Cybercabs for fleets on its website. This step suggests that the initial customers might be companies capable of providing vehicle maintenance and operational support, rather than individual users.
Tesla has also launched a new website for its Robotaxi service, where it published various rules regarding Cybercab rides. For now, children under 13 are not permitted to use Cybercabs.
Price Known, But Sale Date Unknown
When Tesla introduced the Cybercab approximately two years ago, it stated that the vehicle could be sold for under $30,000. However, the company has not yet announced when the vehicle will be available for sale to individual customers.
The Cybercab's lack of a steering wheel, pedals, and other physical controls is one of the most significant legal obstacles for Tesla. Many US states require special permits for vehicles without a steering wheel or brake pedal to operate on public roads, or they do not permit their use at all.
Most other robotaxi companies use vehicles that retain steering wheels, pedals, and traditional driving controls. Zoox is the most similar to Tesla in this regard. US federal regulators granted Zoox permission in July to operate up to 2,500 of these vehicles on US roads. Tesla may need to obtain a similar federal exemption to deploy a large number of Cybercabs. However, the company has not yet received such permission.
Tesla's Event Also Sparked Controversy
Furthermore, the official unveiling of the Cybercab was held behind closed doors in Austin. The event was not live-streamed, journalists were not invited, and the attendee list largely consisted of Tesla-supporting content creators.
Chuck Cook, one of the Tesla content creators invited to the event, stated that the company made him sign a non-disclosure agreement and requested that he not publish content until the event concluded. Some uninvited Tesla-supporting accounts also criticized the company's handling of the event.
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