Tesla said Thursday that the Cybercab has begun operations in Austin, Texas, marking a step forward in the company’s driverless ride-hailing program as it moves from concept and testing into use with a purpose-built production vehicle. The two-seat Cybercab has no steering wheel, pedals, or conventional rearview mirrors, and it relies entirely on Tesla’s autonomous driving software. Inside, the cabin features only passenger seating and a 22-inch central display.
Tesla also said the vehicle will make its first public appearance in China in mid-September, when it will be displayed in Beijing, Shanghai, and several other cities. The company said those events are intended to show the vehicle’s design and technology, not to indicate sales in China or the launch of commercial robotaxi operations there.
Tesla first unveiled the Cybercab as a concept at its “We, Robot” event in October 2024. The first production vehicle came off the line at the Texas Gigafactory in February, and mass production began in April. Despite Tesla’s description of the latest step as the start of official operations, the fleet remains small. As of August 31, Tesla had registered 38 additional Cybercabs for its local robotaxi fleet, bringing the total to 45, according to data from the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. The vehicles had previously been used mainly for employee test rides.
The Cybercab uses eight high-definition cameras to interpret its surroundings and an end-to-end neural network to make driving decisions. Tesla says it does not use lidar or high-definition maps, and it uses the same AI 4 computing hardware found in the current Model 3 and Model Y.
Tesla said its global fleet had accumulated more than 22.5 billion kilometers of assisted-driving mileage as of September 2026. The Cybercab is expected to consume about 10.2 kWh per 100 kilometers, with a curb weight of 1,412 kilograms, a 47.6-kWh battery pack, and a 163-kW motor. Tesla also says laboratory testing showed a range of 673 kilometers.
The company has said long-term costs could fall to $0.20 per mile at scale, supported by the two-seat layout, lower energy use, driverless operation, and its Unboxed manufacturing process. The vehicle is also designed for wireless charging and automated cleaning.
Source: CnEVPost
