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Musk launches driverless taxis and asks passengers to overcome fear of losing control

From La Nación · () 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 Cybercabs without steering wheels or pedals on Austin streets, leaving passengers no way to take control in an emergency.
  • The launch pushed Tesla shares more than 5% higher, despite declining electric-vehicle sales and competition from Waymo and Amazon’s Zoox.
  • A Pew Research Center survey found that seven in 10 U.S. adults felt little or no comfort riding in a driverless car.

Tesla has put dozens of gold-colored Cybercabs on the streets of Austin, Texas, with one feature passengers cannot ignore: there is no steering wheel or pedals, and no way to take control during an emergency.

Elon Musk is betting that Americans will overcome their fear of giving up control and embrace the futuristic service. Tesla promoted the launch on X with the words “No steering wheel, no pedals,” while Musk later posted an image of a giant Cybercab above Austin and wrote, “A storm of Cybercabs.” The company has not said when it plans to deploy the service in other cities.

The launch comes as Tesla faces weaker electric-vehicle sales. The company recorded its second consecutive annual sales decline in 2025, its profits fell sharply, and China’s BYD took its place as the world’s largest electric-vehicle manufacturer. Tesla shares nevertheless rose more than 5% on hopes that the robotaxi service could quickly gain popularity.

No steering wheel, no pedals

· TeslaTesla’s promotional message on X before the Cybercab launch.

Tesla is behind Waymo in both deployed vehicles and completed rides. Its system relies only on cameras, while Waymo and Amazon’s Zoox also use radar and lidar. Tesla already operates robotaxis in Austin and five other cities in Texas and Florida, but those vehicles have steering wheels and brake pedals. More than 200 Tesla robotaxis now operate without safety drivers, according to RobotaxiTracker, compared with more than 4,000 Waymo vehicles across 14 cities.

Passenger acceptance remains another obstacle. A February Pew Research Center survey found that 70% of U.S. adults felt little or no comfort riding in a self-driving car. Tesla also suffered protests and consumer boycotts in several countries after Musk became involved in Donald Trump’s government cost-cutting campaign and voiced support for far-right politicians.

A storm of Cybercabs

· Elon MuskMusk’s post about the deployment of Cybercabs in Austin.
About this summary

Originally published by La Nación 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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