Tesla has put 100 Cybercabs into internal operation at its Gigafactory in Texas.
Tesla has begun deploying its driverless Cybercab employee shuttle service in Giga, Texas. With a fleet of over 100 vehicles ready, this is a stepping stone to perfecting its self-driving software before a public launch.
Tesla is moving closer to commercializing its self-driving taxi service as it begins offering Cybercab rides to employees at its Gigafactory in Texas. Currently, a fleet of over 100 next-generation Robotaxi vehicles has been assembled in the factory parking lot, marking a large-scale real-world testing phase before officially launching on public roads.
The vision of fully autonomous vehicles without a steering wheel.
The Cybercab is a two-seater electric vehicle specifically designed for autonomous driving. Its most groundbreaking feature is the complete elimination of traditional controls such as the steering wheel and accelerator or brake pedals. This reflects Tesla's vision of a future where artificial intelligence takes over driving entirely, without human intervention.
According to an announcement from Tesla's Robotaxi account on the social media platform X, employees at the Texas Gigafactory will be among the first to experience this internal shuttle service. Eric, the chief engineer of Cybercab, revealed that he has conducted and recorded over 50 trips in the past few days. The enthusiasm of the engineering team demonstrates the initial reliability of the system in a controlled environment.
The difference between Cybercab and the Model Y fleet.
Although Tesla already operates a fleet of Robotaxi based on the Model Y in Austin, Texas, the Cybercab represents a completely different technological leap. Below is a comparison of the basic technical specifications:
| Characteristic | Ranger Cybercab | Tesla Model Y (Robotaxi) |
|---|---|---|
| Control system | No steering wheel, no pedals. | It has a steering wheel and pedals. |
| Number of seats | 2 seats | 5 to 7 seats |
| Operating mode | Fully autonomous (Unsupervised) | Supervised autonomous driving |
| Design purpose | Specifically designed for ride-hailing services. | Multipurpose commercial vehicle |
Software barriers and legal frameworks
Although Tesla is hardware-ready with over 100 vehicles produced, the biggest challenge now lies in optimizing the software. Tesla acknowledges that the self-driving system needs to achieve absolute reliability before regulators and the public trust it enough to allow autonomous vehicles to operate on public roads.
Notably, regulatory hurdles are gradually being removed. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently announced it will move toward eliminating the requirement for steering wheels on vehicles designed purely for autonomous driving. Prior to this, the requirement for brake pedals had also been relaxed, paving the way for groundbreaking designs like the Cybercab.
Furthermore, Tesla has yet to clarify whether the service at Giga Texas is a full-campus shuttle system or simply a test run in the parking lot. However, deploying the vehicles to serve employees is a strategic move to gather real-world data, thereby refining the algorithms for handling complex traffic situations without human intervention.
Currently, observers are waiting to see if Cybercab will actually become a commercial ride-hailing product as Tesla has promised. With the fleet of vehicles already ready at the Texas Gigafactory, the answer will likely become clear soon once internal testing is complete.
