Dive Brief:
- Tesla appears to be readying a public launch of its Cybercab this month in Austin, Texas, according to The Information. Tesla posted a cryptic message Monday on X offering robotaxi rides at an undisclosed location.
- Tesla began manufacturing the purpose-built, two-seat vehicle at its plant near Austin, Elon Musk said in an April 24 post on X.
- The company began adding Starlink, a satellite internet service, to its Cybercabs on Aug. 10, according to a post on X.
Dive Insight:
Tesla CEO Elon Musk debuted the Cybercab at an Oct. 10, 2024, event in Burbank, Calif. The vehicle has no pedals or steering wheel and relies on the company’s “full self-driving” software. In its other cars sold publicly with traditional driver controls, that software requires the driver to be attentive at all times, meaning those vehicles are not autonomous.
In Austin, Chicago and San Francisco, where Cybercabs are being tested, remote monitors can take over driving when needed, according to an article in Electrek.
Ride in Robotaxi through 8/23 for a shot to attend our Cybercab launch event
— Tesla Robotaxi (@robotaxi) August 18, 2026
More rides = better odds pic.twitter.com/NxA4H9sWF2
Cybercab rides on public roads will be offered to Tesla employees before public Cybercabs are incorporated into its robotaxi service in Austin, according to news reports.
“We do need to be cautious about causing any accidents or causing any harm to anyone,” Musk said during the company’s Q2 2026 earnings call. “If we injure even one person, it'll be worldwide headline news, and regulators will immediately clamp down on our activities.”
Amazon’s Zoox offers public rides in Las Vegas and the San Francisco Bay Area with its box-like, bidirectional vehicles that lack typical driver controls. It began testing in Austin and Miami in March.
