Drive time
Tesla’s driverless Cybercabs are preparing to hit the roads in Dallas
Cybercabs come in a matte or glossy golden shade with butterfly doors.
Tesla’s self-driving Cybercabs, already on the roads of Austin, will be roaming the streets of Dallas in the near future.
In an October 10 post on the X social media platform, Tesla’s vice president of AI software, Ashok Elluswamy, said Cybercabs are coming “soon” to Dallas. He offered no timeline.
The futuristic Cybercab differs significantly from Tesla’s more laidback Model Y Robotaxi, which cruised into the Dallas area this spring.
Both autonomous electric vehicles are manufactured in Austin, where Tesla is based. The Robotaxi Tracker website shows 319 Cybercabs and 420 Robotaxis are registered in Texas today.
Perhaps the most striking difference between the Cybercab and Robotaxi is the absence or presence of driving controls.
The Cybercab — made especially for driverless ride-hailing trips — lacks a steering wheel, gas pedal, and brake pedal, among other typical fixtures. The vehicle uses camera vision and sensors to navigate streets, highways, parking lots, and more. The Robotaxi features a traditional steering wheel and pedals.
Another difference: The Cybercab’s bench-style seating accommodates only two passengers. Depending on the configuration, a Robotaxi can carry up to four or five passengers in the front row and rear row. Touchscreens are installed in both rows. The Cybercab comes with a single touchscreen.
A Cybercab’s exterior color stands out — either a matte or glossy golden shade — and comes with two butterfly doors. The Robotaxi has a less-flashy paint scheme and a more conventional four-door setup.
Also unlike the Robotaxi, the Cybercab isn’t equipped with side mirrors, a rearview mirror, or a back window.
Inside the Cybercab, you’ll find a large interactive touchscreen, and enough cargo room for large items like luggage, golf clubs, and scooters.
Elluswamy’s comment about Dallas came in response to an X post saying Austin had more than 300 Cybercabs. The cars, which launched in Austin last month, were spotted throughout the city during the just-concluded ACL Music Festival.
In Tesla’s July call with Wall Street analysts, Elluswamy praised the Cybercab as “a phenomenal product.”
“Anyone who rides in it instantly falls in love with the experience,” he said.
The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) may not be in love with the Cybercab, though. It has launched two investigations into them.
In September, NHTSA opened an investigation into data that Tesla supplied to obtain federal certification of the Cybercab. Investigation paperwork notes their lack of a steering wheel, gas pedal, brake pedal, and mirrors.
This month, the federal agency opened an investigation into reports that Cybercabs and Robotaxis had exceeded posted speed limits in active school zones.
