Tesla has officially pushed its boldest autonomous vehicle onto public roads. The Cybercab, a futuristic two-seater without pedals or a steering wheel, was recently spotted navigating downtown Austin marking its first real-world test outside private facilities.
Cybercab goes fully driverless
Tesla has tested driverless rides using modified Model Y vehicles on its Robotaxi platform. But the Cybercab is a different machine. It’s built from the ground up with no pedals or steering wheel—just pure autonomy. This car fully commits to Tesla’s vision of hands-free urban travel.
Built on the latest AI4 hardware, the Cybercab is equipped to run FSD 14 (Unsupervised) Tesla’s most advanced version of its self-driving software. Unlike the older HW3 vehicles still reliant on supervised driving, the Cybercab doesn’t even offer a manual fallback. No pedals, no steering wheel, no “driver.”
Public debut raises real-world questions
The Cybercab’s debut follows months of testing within Tesla’s factory grounds and controlled setups using outfitted Model 3s. But running a car with zero manual controls through live city traffic? That’s a new level of risk and regulatory scrutiny.
It’s unclear if a safety supervisor was seated in the vehicle during its first outing. If one was, they had no traditional means of intervention. Tesla has previously demonstrated manual overrides using a game controller, but that system is strictly limited to show floors and staging not permitted on public roads.
Robotaxi fleet expansion set for 2026
According to Elon Musk, Tesla plans to scale the Robotaxi network in 2026, adding both owner vehicles (likely newer Model Y units) and the Cybercab itself. However, this rollout won’t include older Teslas with HW3 hardware, as they can’t handle full FSD autonomy. At best, those vehicles may run a feature-limited version what insiders are calling “FSD 14 Lite.”
Here’s how the Robotaxi roadmap is shaping up:
- Cybercab: Full AI4 platform, no manual controls
- Model Y (2026+): Owner-operated Robotaxi fleet additions
- Model Y (current gen): Running FSD 14 (Unsupervised)
- HW3 vehicles: Possibly restricted to “FSD 14 Lite”
High stakes, no steering wheel
Tesla’s bet on the Cybercab is huge. It’s a design that’s either wildly ahead of its time or daringly premature. Without a way to manually intervene, the system’s every decision is final, and any fault will land squarely on Tesla’s AI stack. In a city as chaotic as Austin, that’s no small gamble.
Still, if the Cybercab survives its trial by traffic, it could become the centerpiece of Tesla’s Robotaxi empire cleaning itself, charging itself, and chauffeuring passengers without anyone ever touching a wheel.
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