All articles tagged with #cybercab
Tesla has extended its Robotaxi operating hours in Austin to 11 p.m., adding 111 Cybercabs to its fleet in the past two weeks. Elon Musk cited difficulty detecting pets at night as the primary barrier to 24/7 service, while critics argue that camera-only systems are insufficient for low-light conditions compared to competitors using lidar and radar.
Tesla has rapidly expanded its driverless Cybercab fleet in Texas, reaching 169 authorized vehicles in Austin since its September 3 launch. While the company faces technical complaints and a federal safety audit, it is preparing to expand into Dallas and other states. Competitor Waymo maintains a significant lead in operational scale and public trust, with 4,000 active vehicles across 15 U.S. markets.
Tesla’s Austin robotaxi fleet briefly surged around the Cybercab launch, but in the past week active rides collapsed to eight vehicles, despite hundreds of registered VINs. Trackers showed a spike to over 100 on-road robots during launch week, followed by a rapid fall as influencers left. The gap between registered vehicles and actual operation underscores that the hype hasn’t translated into scalable autonomous ride-hailing, likely due to safety and deployment constraints.
The NHTSA has issued a Special Order demanding Tesla prove under oath that its Cybercab—lacking a steering wheel, pedals, mirrors, and other conventional controls—complies with federal safety standards written for human drivers. Tesla must respond by Sept. 30 or face penalties up to $139 million. The agency questions self-certification, notes that many FMVSS standards assume a human driver, and highlights issues such as FMVSS 135 (foot brakes) because the Cybercab has no foot-activated brake. NHTSA references its proposal to rewrite rules for automated vehicles and contrasts Tesla’s approach with Zoox’s exemption path, signaling that, until standards are updated, the Cybercab’s sale and operation may remain constrained.
A Business Insider tester rides a gold Tesla Cybercab in Austin, a steering-wheel-free robotaxi controlled by a large screen and app, noting its bold design and city-driving performance while flagging safety concerns, limited downtown scope, and long wait times as Tesla pushes a low-cost autonomous ride-hail future.
The NHTSA has launched an Audit Query into Tesla's Cybercab certification as the company rolls out its wheelless two-seater robotaxi in Austin, with regulators reviewing how about 1,000 Cybercabs were certified for U.S. roads. The vehicle relies on cameras and AI, bans riders under 13 and requires an adult for ages 13–17, has no LATCH anchors, and includes features like an emergency Stop button, mechanical door releases and brake-by-wire, while regulators seek more technical data to verify safety compliance amid broader autonomous-vehicle oversight.
Austin firefighters warn that Tesla’s touchscreen-only Cybercab lacks a steering wheel, meaning manual control hinges on power and the touchscreen, which could be unreliable in emergencies; gloves, dust, or damage could complicate operation, and they urge federal regulators to require physical steering controls rather than leaving the decision to automakers.
A pre-production Tesla Cybercab in Berkeley reveals a Cybertruck steering wheel bolted to an exposed steering column on a test mule, highlighting Tesla’s ongoing use of a driver-equipped rig for public-road testing even as the production Cybercab is designed to be wheel- and pedal-free for a robotaxi future.
Tesla’s Cybercab robotaxi, pitched as a revenue-sharing fleet, faces skepticism over profitability, rapid depreciation, and Tesla’s control of software and pricing, with regulators watching and experts warning the business model risks more downside than upside.
The Verge spent about an hour riding Tesla’s wheel-free Cybercab in Austin, an experience that shows a future of autonomous lounges with a spacious interior and a big touchscreen, but is dampened by butterfly-door quirks, awkward drop-off spots, long wait times, and a self-driving system that isn’t fully confident, all amid regulatory scrutiny as Tesla plans broader rollout.
Austin firefighters expressed concerns that Tesla's Cybercab, which has no steering wheel or traditional human controls, could block streets in an emergency; they were trained to move the robotaxi using its touchscreen, and one captain said the approach isn’t a silver bullet and called for federal standards.
Tesla shares rose about 2% after a company update signaled progress beyond EVs into autonomous ride-hailing, highlighting the Cybercab—a two-seat, pedalless vehicle built for robotaxi use in Austin—which could lower costs if fleets scale, though profitability depends on fleet growth, software performance, and utilization amid regulatory and competitive risks; the company also has humanoid robots as another growth bet.
The Verge reports that Tesla’s Cybercab, designed as a fully autonomous vehicle with no manual controls, appears to include a secret, staff-only manual-control interface: a virtual joystick on the central display (a square in the lower-left with a forward/reverse toggle, plus stop, horn, and door controls) that riders have seen in the first weeks of launch. Intended for fleet workers to nudge the robotaxi in tight spaces, this control system is not described as public-ready and could be used by depot staff or responders; its purpose beyond internal use remains unclear.
Tesla's Cybercab—robotaxi with no steering wheel or pedals—was spotted with a hidden on-screen joystick enabling manual driving, revealing a fallback control method Tesla has not publicly showcased. The interface splits the screen into a joystick and a live camera feed. This raises safety/regulatory questions as the NHTSA audits the vehicle's certification for driverless operation, while Tesla says real controls could be added if needed. The joystick is likely not a practical long-term solution, but it underscores the tension between full autonomy and human fallback options.
Electrek argues Tesla’s plan to let businesses buy Cybercab fleets to operate on its Robotaxi network is a risk-transfer scheme: past promises of high per-vehicle income never materialized, with investors like MisterGreen losing tens of millions as depreciation outpaced any fake revenue. Tesla keeps the software margins and the network, while buyers assume the capital cost and depreciation, making it a risky upside/limited control arrangement. If the model truly paid, Tesla wouldn’t need to sell the cars; the article suggests skepticism about the fleet-offering and notes other safer bets like solar energy as financially stronger options.