Tesla has begun testing a production version of its Cybercab that has two seats, but no steering wheel or pedals, in Austin, Texas. For now, testing is done with a safety screen in the right passenger seat, according to video was posted on X, the social networking platform owned by electric car maker CEO Elon Musk.
This test comes almost two years after Tesla revealed the design of the Cybercab, which is intended to be a fully autonomous robotaxi that can be hailed via the Tesla app. About a year ago, Tesla began testing a Tesla Robotaxi service in Austin with Model Y SUVs that occasionally used safety screens.
Tesla has been testing prototype versions of the Cybercab, equipped with a steering wheel and pedals, in various cities across the United States in recent weeks. It also parked hundreds of vehicles in parking lots in some of those cities, sparking speculation that the company was finally about to launch a truly expanded robotaxi network.
One of the obstacles to making this idea a reality is likely to be removed. Last week, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration unveiled a proposal that would not enforce brake pedals on “vehicles designed to be driven solely by automated driving systems.” The proposal is still in a public comment period, but is expected to be completed within the year.
Musk and other Tesla executives have argued that they will be able to overtake the current robotaxi leader, Waymo, for a number of reasons. Chief among those reasons is that Tesla makes the cars and the driving software, which is expected to give it much more control over costs than Waymo, which relies on partnerships with brands like Jaguar and Zeekr for vehicles. Tesla is also trying to make the Cybercab fully autonomous using only cameras, while Waymo uses a much more complex suite of sensors, including lidar and radar.
Tesla — and Musk — have spent years promising that the company will be able to build a fully autonomous car, but it has yet to develop one at scale. The closest it’s come is the robotaxi service in Austin, which has seen its size wax and wane in the year since it launched. Some of these vehicles have been involved in a number of minor accidents, at least two of which were caused by remote operators.
Of course, Waymo’s robotaxis has also had its fair share of mishaps, and as the company has scaled up, it’s encountered a number of problems and edge cases, some of which it’s still working on. The Alphabet-owned company’s robotaxis currently can’t take highways because it had trouble maneuvering around construction zones, leading to a recall (which wasn’t designed to fix the problem, just to avoid highways). Waymo’s vehicles have also tried to avoid flooded areas during periods of heavy rain, prompting another recall. And they had trouble legally driving school buses.
Tesla has had its own growing pains with Austin’s robotaxi network, but some of it has flown under the radar simply because it uses very slightly modified versions of its Model Y consumer SUV. Waymo’s sensor-laden I-Pace SUVs (and the blue Zeekr vans, which are starting to hit the roads now) are much easier to spot when they’re doing something wrong.
The launch of two-seater Cybercabs in gold will give even greater visibility to Tesla’s effort to develop a nationwide robotaxi network, making both its struggles and successes much more visible.
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This does not affect our editorial independence.
