Business · Companies · 1 hr ago
Tesla says Cybercab sales will start by year-end despite safety probe
Tesla says it plans to start selling its driverless Cybercab by year-end to outside customers.
The two-seat vehicle has no steering wheel or conventional controls, and Tesla is already using Cybercabs in its robotaxi service in Austin, Texas.
Most Cybercabs will remain Tesla-owned and operate as a transport service, rather than being sold as ordinary cars.
Tesla says it will begin with a small number of deliveries and expand as it learns how to manage ownership and fleets.
The plan comes as federal safety officials investigate the Cybercab, including how Tesla certified it under rules that require features such as brake pedals and mirrors.
The Department of Transportation has proposed changing some requirements for vehicles designed to drive autonomously, but the investigation could affect whether Cybercabs can be operated.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk also said an unsupervised version of the company's driving software for other cars is expected in the second quarter of next year, after delays.
Tesla says it aims to begin delivering Cybercabs to customers by the end of 2026.
The company says Cybercabs produced so far are going to its own robotaxi fleet.
CEO Elon Musk said most Cybercabs will remain Tesla-owned and operate as transport services.
The two-seat autonomous vehicle has no steering wheel or other traditional controls.
A federal safety investigation into the Cybercab could affect Tesla’s plans.
- Who
- Tesla, including engineering vice president Lars Moravy and CEO Elon Musk.
- What
- Tesla aims to begin delivering Cybercabs to customers by the end of 2026, while saying most will be Tesla-owned.
- When
- By the end of 2026; the plan was discussed on the company’s third-quarter earnings call on Wednesday.
- Where
- The earnings call took place at a time not stated. Tesla is producing Cybercabs in Texas and operating rides in Austin.
- Why
- Tesla describes the Cybercab mainly as a vehicle for transport as a service. It says it will start small and scale as it learns about delivery, ownership and fleet management.
Tesla
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
Vehicle plans
Tesla
Tesla aims to begin customer deliveries by the end of 2026 and says most Cybercabs will serve its own robotaxi fleet.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
NHTSA is investigating whether the Cybercab meets vehicle safety standards.
Manual controls
Tesla
Tesla has self-certified the vehicle, which lacks a steering wheel and other traditional controls.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
Federal standards require features including brake pedals, and current regulations do not accommodate vehicles without manual controls.
Tesla floated the idea of selling Cybercabs to third parties around its Cybercab event in Austin.
NHTSA opened an investigation into the Cybercab after vehicles began operating on public streets in Austin.
Moravy said on Tesla’s third-quarter earnings call that the company aims to deliver Cybercabs to customers by the end of 2026.
- Target delivery
- By the end of 2026
- Vehicle
- Gold-hued, autonomous two-seater without a steering wheel
- Production location
- Texas
- Current ride service
- Paid Cybercab rides in Austin, Texas
- Investigation
- NHTSA is examining Tesla’s Cybercab certification process and related issues
3 sources
What people are saying
In short, we're trying to get to customers by the end of this year, 2026
Cybercab is primarily going to be something that is offered as like transport as a service, whereas our other cars would be more, you know, the cars that you’d want to own, like the 3 and the Y and whatnot, and the Roadster, obviously
The vast majority of the Cybercab stuff will be essentially Tesla-owned and transport as a service.