On September 3, Tesla held a long-awaited presentation of the Cybercab in Austin, Texas, while simultaneously opening public access to rides in its fully driverless two-seat vehicles. These cars, devoid of steering wheels and pedals, are now available through the Robotaxi service in select areas of the city.
The event, announced several weeks in advance, marked the official launch of the project. Tesla's AI division head, Ashok Elluswamy, confirmed that the service is now open to everyone. The system assigns a Cybercab automatically based on vehicle availability and passenger count—choosing it over a Model Y is not yet possible. The company plans to introduce dynamic pricing but is keeping specific rates under wraps.
Scale of the launch and the autonomous vehicle fleet
According to Texas authorities, at the time of launch Tesla had registered 420 autonomous vehicles in the state, 45 of which are Cybercabs. For comparison, competitor Waymo has 988 vehicles in Texas. Production of the Cybercab began in April 2026. The model, first unveiled in October 2024, is a purpose-built robotaxi with two gull-wing doors, wireless charging, and a complete absence of manual control mechanisms.
Elon Musk has repeatedly stated that the Cybercab will become Tesla's highest-volume model and the foundation of a global robotaxi network. The target price of under $30,000 announced at the 2024 presentation has not yet been confirmed—no customer price has been disclosed.
A new business model and regulatory scrutiny
Notably, Tesla has opened an application form for companies and entrepreneurs interested in purchasing Cybercabs or entire fleets for commercial use. This is a clear signal of readiness to attract third-party operators to accelerate network scaling, although specific partnership terms have not yet been revealed. The Robotaxi service based on the Model Y currently operates in Austin, Dallas, Houston, as well as Miami, Orlando, and Tampa.
However, the launch has not gone unnoticed by regulators. As early as September 4, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) began an investigation into approximately 1,000 Cybercabs. The regulator intends to determine on what basis Tesla deemed the model compliant with federal safety standards, given the absence of a steering wheel, pedals, and mirrors. Federal rules restrict the commercial sale of such vehicles, although there is no quantitative limit for testing. Tesla has also not yet obtained permission for commercial robotaxi operations in California.
It is worth recalling that the first Robotaxi rides in Austin based on the Model Y began back in June 2025, but at that time a safety supervisor was present in the cabin. In December of that year, the company began testing fully autonomous rides without one.
My analysis: The Cybercab launch is not just another milestone for Tesla, but a strategic maneuver that could radically reshape the mobility market. However, the NHTSA decision to investigate underscores a key risk: regulatory uncertainty remains the main obstacle to the mass adoption of fully driverless vehicles. Tesla's success here will depend not only on technology but also on its ability to build a dialogue with authorities.