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Autonomous Driving

Tesla launches Cybercab robotaxi in Austin with public rides

Tesla begins public Cybercab rides in Austin, launching its first purpose-built robotaxi without a steering wheel.

AI News Feed · 2026-09-04 15:24

Tesla announced the service through its Robotaxi app for iOS and Android. The app supports autonomous rides in Austin, Dallas, Houston, Miami, Orlando and Tampa, but the Cybercab option currently appears only in Austin, and customers cannot directly request it; whether a rider gets a Cybercab depends on group size and availability.

Texas vehicle registration records show 45 Cybercabs in the state, among Tesla's 420 autonomous vehicles, most of which are Model Ys. According to Robotaxi Tracker, Tesla now has 256 unsupervised autonomous vehicles running across six cities, while Alphabet's Waymo operates about 4,000 vehicles in 14 cities.

The launch event itself was muted. Tesla did not livestream it and invited mostly pro-Tesla influencers, some of whom signed nondisclosure agreements and agreed to embargoes before posting. For days ahead, dozens of gold Cybercabs had been seen moving around Austin, giving a preview of the service.

The Cybercab was first revealed in October 2024 at Tesla's "We, Robot" event in Burbank, California. It has gullwing doors, a bench-style seat for two passengers, a 22-inch screen and eight cameras that feed the onboard AI computer. It has no steering wheel, pedals, mirrors, radar or lidar. According to EPA filings, the car uses a single 219-horsepower front-mounted motor, a 48kWh battery pack and a curb weight of about 3,113 pounds, making it roughly 700 pounds lighter than the lightest Model 3. Tesla says the 572-liter trunk can hold two checked suitcases and two carry-ons, or a folded wheelchair, and the vehicle's seat height is close to a wheelchair seat.

Hours before the event, Tesla published an online form asking companies and individuals interested in buying Cybercab fleets, building "mobility hubs and infrastructure," or collaborating on events to leave contact information. Chief executive Elon Musk has said he expects the Cybercab to sell for under $30,000, but the vehicle is not yet on sale and Tesla has not given a delivery date.

The rollout follows years of missed predictions. In 2016, Musk said every new Tesla had the hardware needed for full autonomy, a claim he later acknowledged was wrong. The company has continued to sell Full Self-Driving (Supervised) as a Level 2 driver-assistance system. With the Cybercab, Tesla is offering its first service where no driver or safety operator is required inside the vehicle.