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Tesla opens limited Cybercab rides in Austin as US safety agency evaluates move

From Asharq Al-Awsat · () English

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

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Tesla says its two-seat Cybercab is offering rides in limited areas of Austin, Texas, despite lacking a steering wheel and pedals.
  • The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it is in contact with Tesla and evaluating the operation.
  • Tesla aims to make the Cybercab the main vehicle in a larger robotaxi network, but its rollout has lagged behind Elon Musk’s earlier targets.

Tesla’s much-promoted Cybercab launch in Austin delivered rides, short executive presentations and a conspicuous absence: Elon Musk himself. The company said on Thursday that the two-seat electric vehicle was carrying passengers in limited parts of the Texas city, even though it has no steering wheel or pedals.

It's open to the entire public.

· Ashok ElluswamyTesla’s AI chief said anyone could ride the Cybercab service.

The event attracted investors, fans and social media personalities, some of whom traveled to Austin to try the golden cars with butterfly doors. Videos posted afterward showed attendees riding in the vehicles, as well as at least one Cybercab that was only partly manufactured. Presentations on pricing, production and technology lasted about 15 minutes, according to the videos.

Tesla has not said when it will begin charging fares. Executives described a planned dynamic-pricing system in which prices would rise with demand, while promising “a first-class experience at coach price.” Ashok Elluswamy, Tesla’s chief of artificial intelligence and one of the presenters, said the service was open to anyone: “It's open to the entire public.”

NHTSA is in contact with Tesla and is evaluating the situation.

· National Highway Traffic Safety Administration spokespersonThe agency described its response to Tesla’s operation in Austin.

The launch has drawn regulatory attention because federal safety rules typically require human controls. “NHTSA is in contact with Tesla and is evaluating the situation,” a spokesperson for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said, without providing further details.

a first-class experience at coach price

· Tesla executivesExecutives described the planned customer experience while discussing dynamic pricing.

Tesla already operates a limited robotaxi service using autonomous Model Ys, some with human safety monitors. The company began a pilot in Austin in June 2025 and later expanded to a handful of cities in Texas and Florida. Its Texas fleet remains smaller than Waymo’s autonomous fleet, while analysts and investors continue to view driverless vehicles as central to Tesla’s future and its $1.4 trillion market value. Musk has promised for years that fully driverless Teslas were imminent, but the company’s robotaxi rollout has fallen short of his targets and growth has been slower than expected, according to analysts.

the first car that is specifically built for unsupervised full self-driving

· Elon MuskMusk described the Cybercab in a video released on Thursday.
About this summary

Originally published by Asharq Al-Awsat in English. 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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