Tesla has begun deploying its Cybercab on public roads in Austin, Texas, moving its purpose-built autonomous vehicle into service after more than a year of operating its Robotaxi network primarily with modified Model Y SUVs. The two-seat Cybercab has no steering wheel or pedals and relies on cameras and Tesla’s AI driving system to navigate.
The rollout follows weeks of Tesla staging Cybercabs around Austin and other U.S. cities. Texas had 420 autonomous vehicles registered when the deployment began, according to the state’s automated vehicle tracker.
Cybercab Is Central to Tesla’s Robotaxi Plans
Tesla first presented the Cybercab in 2024 as a vehicle designed specifically for autonomous ride-hailing. Unlike Full Self-Driving (Supervised), which remains a driver-assistance system that requires a responsible driver, the Cybercab is intended to operate without manual controls.
The vehicle grew out of Tesla’s work on a lower-cost next-generation electric vehicle platform. It is smaller and lighter than the company’s other vehicles and uses a lower-capacity battery, decisions intended to reduce manufacturing costs and improve the economics of operating a large robotaxi fleet.
Tesla began its Robotaxi pilot in Austin in June 2025 using modified Model Y vehicles. During its early stages, employees rode inside the vehicles and could intervene when necessary, while Tesla later expanded the service into additional areas in Texas and Florida.
The program has recorded several dozen incidents in Austin, most involving relatively minor collisions with stationary objects. Some incidents involved remote operators moving vehicles at low speeds.
Tesla Faces the Challenge of Scaling Autonomy
Tesla believes the Cybercab can give it a cost advantage over competitors because it develops both the vehicle and autonomous-driving software itself. Waymo, by comparison, operates roughly 4,000 robotaxis and uses vehicles supplied by manufacturers including Jaguar and Zeekr that are equipped with cameras, radar, and lidar.
Tesla has taken a different technical approach by relying primarily on cameras and AI. Its robotaxi operations have so far remained within designated geographic areas, even as the company has gradually expanded those operating zones.
Scaling the Cybercab will test whether Tesla can maintain reliable autonomous operation as its fleet grows and encounters a wider range of road conditions. The distinctive gold vehicles will also make the company’s robotaxi operations more visible than the Model Y vehicles it has used until now.
The deployment is already drawing regulatory attention. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an investigation on September 4 into Tesla’s decision to put Cybercabs without steering wheels or pedals on public roads, after Tesla told the agency that it had self-certified the vehicle as compliant with federal safety standards.
Tesla has increasingly described itself as moving beyond its traditional automotive business toward autonomous vehicles, AI, and robotics. Its 2025 financial materials described the Robotaxi launch and installation of Cybercab production lines as part of that transition.
Featured image credits: Wikimedia Commons
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