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Elon Musk launches Tesla Cybercabs and asks passengers to overcome fear of giving up control

From El Universal · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Documents & data New plan
  • Tesla deployed dozens of autonomous Cybercabs in Austin, Texas, with no steering wheels or pedals for passengers.
  • Tesla shares rose more than 5% after the launch, despite falling electric vehicle sales and competition from Waymo and Amazon’s Zoox.
  • The company faces public skepticism, with a February Pew Research Center survey finding that seven in 10 U.S. adults felt uncomfortable riding in a self-driving car.

Tesla put dozens of golden Cybercabs on Austin’s streets on Thursday, asking Americans to move past their fear of riding in a vehicle where they cannot take control.

The taxis have no steering wheel or pedals, leaving passengers with no way to assume control during an emergency. Tesla is preparing to introduce the service in other cities, although Elon Musk has not said when the wider rollout will begin. The company had scheduled an exclusive launch event for Thursday night.

No steering wheel, no pedals.

· TeslaThe company’s slogan promoting the Cybercab before its launch.

Tesla promoted the vehicle on X with the slogan, “No steering wheel, no pedals.” Musk later posted an image of a giant Cybercab floating over Austin’s skyline and wrote, “A storm of Cybercabs.” Tesla says the vehicle will include a 22-inch touchscreen for work, entertainment and gaming, and will soon receive V5 Starlink hardware for connectivity.

A storm of Cybercabs.

· Elon MuskMusk’s post accompanying an image of a giant Cybercab over Austin.

The launch comes as Tesla tries to catch up with Waymo, the autonomous-taxi leader in deployed vehicles and completed rides. Tesla must show that its camera-only system can safely navigate streets and avoid pedestrians. Waymo and Amazon’s Zoox use cameras alongside radar and lidar.

Even a smooth technical performance may not be enough to win over the public. A Pew Research Center survey conducted in February found that seven in 10 U.S. adults felt little or no comfort traveling in a driverless car. Tesla’s shares suffered last year after Musk took charge of the Trump administration’s cost-cutting campaign and backed far-right politicians, triggering protests at Tesla facilities and consumer boycotts in several countries. Tesla’s vehicle sales fell for a second straight year in 2025, its profits plunged, and China’s BYD overtook it as the world’s largest electric vehicle maker.

The future of transport is safer, more enjoyable and gives you more time back.

· TeslaThe company’s description of the Cybercab’s intended benefits.
About this summary

Originally published by El Universal in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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