Tesla will hold an exclusive event on September 3, 2026, in Austin, Texas, to launch its Cybercab autonomous robotaxi, with rides offered ahead of its public debut to employees on city streets [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. The Cybercab is a gold-colored, two-passenger vehicle designed without a steering wheel or pedals for level 4 autonomous driving [1, 2, 4, 5, 6]. Featuring butterfly doors and a dual-door hatchback body, the Cybercab is tailored to urban mobility needs [6]. Production began in April 2026 at Tesla’s Austin Gigafactory, with employee test drives starting in July 2026 [6]. Tesla informed staff they will receive the first public road rides before Cybercabs integrate into Austin's robotaxi fleet [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
Tesla CEO Elon Musk stated the company plans to start Cybercab production before 2027 with a retail price under $30,000 targeted at private customers. Musk said, "The company plans to sell the Cybercab to private customers for less than US$30,000 apiece" [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. Tesla promotes a shared economy model where owners or fleet operators can earn income by offering Cybercab rides when the vehicles are idle [6].
State laws require human safety drivers or supervisors ready to intervene during autonomous rides in many states, which applies to Tesla’s current robotaxi operations [1, 2, 4, 5]. Tesla has previously offered autonomous rides using Model Y SUVs in Austin and other US cities [1, 2, 4, 5]. Alphabet’s Waymo operates fully driverless robotaxi services in 11 US cities, standing as Tesla’s main competitor [1, 2, 4, 5, 6].
Tesla is focusing its full self-driving software on a vision-based system, relying on cameras to achieve level 4 autonomy for the Cybercab [6]. The vehicle’s design eliminates traditional controls to emphasize autonomous operation [1, 2, 4, 5, 6].
Tesla unveiled the Cybercab concept in October 2024 as a gold, two-passenger vehicle with no steering wheel or pedals [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. The company will celebrate the Cybercab launch with an exclusive experience event in Austin, emphasizing the city as Tesla’s headquarters. Tesla stated, "We’re celebrating the launch of our Cybercab robotaxi with an exclusive event in Austin — and you could be there" [4].
