Autonomous EVs: Tesla’s new Cybercab hits public roads for first time

Tesla has working on rolling out autonomous driving technologies for almost a decade. The company has aimed to scale its efforts by building a purpose-built Robotaxi it calls the Cybercab, which doesn’t have a steering wheel or pedals, and previous announcements from the company’s CEO, Elon Musk, reveal that it will go into production in the coming months.

Now, the first sighting of the Cybercab testing on public roads has emerged, showcasing a golden car which was captured and shared by the account JT59052914 on X.

The photos show a car leaving an underground carpark in Austin, Texas, with a sighting of other parked cars on the road it’s about to head down.

This Cybercab features Texas manufacturer plates, hinting that it’s a test vehicle, and in the photos taken, it’s unclear if the car had a steering wheel for data collection purposes or even an operator inside.

Tesla first showcased this car at the company’s “We, Robot” event in 2024, which was at Warner Bros. studios in California, with demos taking place on closed roads.

Since then, multiple sightings have been made, with most either at Tesla’s test track or in Tesla showrooms in the US.

Over the last 12 months, since the first unveiling, multiple changes have been made to the design with some recent sightings highlighting what they are.

On the newer versions of the vehicle is the frameless window design, similar to the company’s most popular models, the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y.

There are also other, more minor updates, such as ambient lighting on the inside and the use of similar interior design on the dashboard.

These updates appear to simplify the Cybercab’s design, which, according to previous reports by Tesla’s engineers, will have only half as many parts as a Tesla Model 3.

This will help bring the cost of the circa $A45,000 self-driving robotaxi down, helping the company scale much quicker than the very specialised vehicles seen in competitors like Waymo in the US.

In the shareholder’s deck of the Q3 earnings call, the company shared photos of the pilot production line as it aims to begin production of the unique two-seater vehicle in April 2026.

Initial production will begin at the company’s factory in Austin, Texas. That’s the same state where the most recent sighting of the Cybercab has also taken place.

Currently, Tesla operates a Robotaxi service in Austin, predominantly with the Tesla Model Y vehicles. 

The Cybercab is expected to be added to the fleet once production begins in Q2, so it’s good to see early testing underway, ensuring the new purpose-built Robotaxi vehicle’s integration is fairly seamless.