Overview
- Tesla posted video showing a two-seat production Cybercab driving on Austin streets with no steering wheel or brake and accelerator pedals and a safety monitor in the passenger seat.
- The company’s First Responder Interaction Plan classifies the vehicle as SAE Level 4 and Texas added the Cybercab to its Connected Autonomous Vehicles first-responder plans page, giving the design formal state notice.
- Production began at Gigafactory Texas earlier this year with the first unit rolling off in February and volume builds starting in April, after which the factory shifted toward steering-wheel‑free production runs.
- EPA filings disclosed vehicle specs including a roughly 48 kWh battery, a single front motor rated at about 163 kW, a curb weight near 3,113 pounds, and a safety package that lists at least ten airbags, an active hood, and exterior microphones and speakers for remote support.
- Regulatory moves that ease pedal requirements and Texas’ self-certification law lower near-term barriers, but large-scale deployment remains limited, Tesla’s camera-only approach faces a federal probe, and the company’s long-term volume and sub-$30,000 price goals remain aspirational.