Tesla Launches Self-Driving Cybercab Robotaxi in Texas

Electric-vehicle maker Tesla on Thursday launched its self-driving robotaxi, dubbed the "Cybercab," in Texas as it seeks to compete with services such as Uber and Waymo.

First unveiled in October 2024, the gold-colored vehicle has no pedals or steering wheel. Designed specifically for driverless taxi services, it can carry two passengers.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk posted an image on X showing a Cybercab looming over Austin, the Texas capital and Tesla headquarters, with a cloud of dust behind it.

Cybercabs had been spotted on Austin's streets ahead of the launch, while passengers began seeing the new vehicle as an option in Tesla's updated dedicated app.

"It's humanity changing," Graham Sprigg, a tourist from Australia, said.

"It'll change transportation from owning your own car to actually just getting transportation as a service, which is fantastic for disabled people and old people like I'm becoming," he added.

Musk predicted a "storm of Cybercabs" in Austin, where Tesla held an invite-only event at an entertainment venue that was closed to the media.

The first public rides were given to event attendees, with the service set to become available to the wider public from Friday. Social media posts showed fans arriving for the event, some dressed in gold to match the vehicle.

Tesla has promoted the Cybercab's safety features and accessibility for people with disabilities, describing the service as "democratizing clean transportation for all."

Last year, Tesla began operating self-driving vehicles in Austin using Model Y SUVs, with its Robotaxi service gradually expanding to several cities in Texas, Florida and California.

However, state laws require many autonomous vehicles to have a human supervisor or driver ready to take control if necessary. Waymo, the self-driving vehicle subsidiary of Alphabet, currently operates in 11 US cities.

Tesla had registered 314 robotaxis in Texas as of Wednesday, including 45 Cybercabs, according to FSD Database, which uses data from the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles.

Itay Michaeli, an analyst at TD Securities, said he expected a "slow launch" for the Cybercab, similar to the rollout of Tesla's Robotaxi service. Tesla will likely consider feedback from early users before expanding the service, he said.

Texas has regulations favorable to autonomous vehicles, making it a preferred testing ground for several self-driving services, including Waymo and Zoox, as well as companies such as Motional that are conducting trials.

"Tesla is really just getting started," said Anthony Townsend, a senior research associate at Cornell Tech.

He said it remained to be seen which company in the increasingly crowded autonomous-vehicle market would develop the strongest business model.

"It's always been the promise that AV taxi companies will become cheaper than human-driven rides, but it's not clear that's even within sight," Townsend said in a note, adding that it was also unclear when such companies could become profitable.