Tesla launches driverless Cybercabs in Austin behind closed doors as shares jump
Tesla began driverless Cybercab rides in Austin at a private event with no livestream or press, while a separate rollout put dozens of the steering-wheel-free cars directly onto public streets. Texas records list 45 registered Cybercabs, and Tesla shares rose more than 5 percent as investors bet that riders will accept giving up manual control.
Artificial Intelligence··Midday
Tesla unveils the Cybercab to an invite-only crowd
Tesla introduced the Cybercab, the two-seat vehicle it built solely for robotaxi service, at a private Austin event that excluded journalists and skipped any livestream. Chuck Cook, one of the invitees who was mostly drawn from pro-Tesla content creators, said the company had him sign a non-disclosure agreement and an embargo that held back posts until the event ended. Tesla also opened a Robotaxi website listing ride rules, including a ban on passengers under 13. Texas motor vehicle records list 45 registered Cybercabs, and how many of those will actually carry paying passengers remains unclear.[1]
Driverless cars reach the streets as shares jump
Elon Musk separately sent dozens of the gold-colored Cybercabs onto Austin's public streets the same day, each one built without a steering wheel or brake pedal so passengers have no way to take control in an emergency. Tesla shares, which have suffered amid a slump in vehicle sales, rose more than 5 percent as investors bet the futuristic-looking taxis will catch on quickly. Tesla emphasized on social media before the launch that the car has no steering wheel and no pedals, and Musk posted an image of a Cybercab floating above the Austin skyline, likening the rollout to a storm of Cybercabs.[2]
The rollout still trails Waymo's much larger fleet
Both accounts describe the same expansion from different angles. With the new cars, Tesla now runs 256 unsupervised autonomous vehicles across six cities, according to Robotaxi Tracker data cited in Tesla's own event materials, against roughly 4,000 vehicles that Alphabet's Waymo operates in 14 cities; separately, Tesla said it is preparing to extend the Cybercab service to additional cities beyond Austin. Musk said two years ago that the two-seat car might sell for as little as 30,000 dollars, a price that has not yet been confirmed for buyers rather than for the robotaxi fleet itself.[1], [2]
