Tesla Cybercab begins paid robotaxi service in Austin
By William Fletcher MBE, Chief Executive Officer, New Reg Limited
Tesla has launched its first paid Cybercab rides in Austin, Texas, using fully autonomous two-seaters that have no steering wheel or pedals.
Tesla has begun offering paid robotaxi rides in Austin, Texas, marking the first commercial deployment of its Cybercab, a fully electric two-seater that operates without a steering wheel or pedals, according to multiple reports.
The vehicles involved are described as gold-coloured and form part of a driverless ride-hailing service that Tesla is now permitted to run in Austin. Because the cars have no manual controls whatsoever, every journey is handled entirely by the vehicle's autonomous systems, with no human driver present.
One detail that drew attention around the launch was the absence of Tesla chief executive Elon Musk from the associated launch event, though multiple reports noted the fact without offering an explanation for it.
For now, the service is confined to Austin and represents an early operational phase for the Cybercab. What the vehicles can and cannot do in real-world conditions beyond the absence of manual controls has not been fully detailed in available reporting, and the scale of the initial fleet has not been disclosed.