KATHMANDU: Tesla has rolled out its first mass-produced Cybercab, with CEO Elon Musk sharing the news on X. The vehicle is central to Tesla’s growing ambitions in the autonomous taxi and ride-hailing space.
For now, Tesla’s robotaxi program mostly runs on 2025 Model Y vehicles, most of which still have human safety drivers on board. The company began offering a small number of fully driverless rides to the public back in January.
The Cybercab is a different story altogether. Unlike the Model Y, it has no steering wheel and no pedals, it’s built from the ground up to drive itself.
Tesla is not alone in this space. Amazon-owned Zoox is also developing purpose-built autonomous taxis, and has already secured federal exemptions to operate limited self-driving services in Las Vegas and San Francisco.
Current U.S. Federal safety standards require steering wheels and human controls in vehicles, something the Cybercab simply doesn’t have. That means Tesla will likely need special approval before the vehicle can hit public roads freely.
Musk has also floated the idea of selling the Cybercab directly to consumers, although that path comes with its own set of hurdles from federal safety rules to state-level requirements around registration, insurance, and autonomous vehicle operations.
Priced at around USD 25,000, the Cybercab is designed purely for autonomous driving. Exactly when it will be fully road-legal, however, remains to be seen.
