Tesla has started road testing a production-style Cybercab in Austin, Texas, featuring two seats and no steering wheel or pedals. During the trial, a safety monitor is seated in the front passenger side as the company evaluates the vehicle's autonomous setup.
The move comes nearly two years after Tesla introduced the Cybercab concept as a fully driverless robotaxi designed to be summoned through the Tesla app. The company has also been running a robotaxi service in Austin with Model Y vehicles, some of which have included safety monitors during operations.
In recent weeks, Tesla has tested Cybercab prototypes with traditional controls in several U.S. cities and parked large numbers of the vehicles in public lots, signaling progress toward a broader rollout. A key regulatory shift may also support that direction: the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has proposed a rule that would not require brake pedals in vehicles built exclusively for automated driving systems.
Tesla says its approach could help it move faster than rivals by controlling both the vehicle platform and the driving software. Unlike some competitors, the company is aiming for a camera-based system rather than a sensor-heavy setup.
For Tesla, the Austin tests mark a visible step toward a more mature robotaxi network. If the program advances successfully, it could help shape how autonomous mobility is designed, deployed, and scaled in the years ahead.