Tesla's steering wheel-less Cybercabs spotted on Austin streets

Tesla has begun deploying its Cybercab robotaxis, which have no steering wheel or brake pedals, in Austin, Texas. "A safety monitor is present in the vehicle during this testing phase, but there are no driver controls of any kind — the Texas Department of Transportation has officially confirmed the vehicle's controlless design."

According to an article in Basenor, the Cybercab went from its public reveal to road tests on public streets in roughly 20 months. Tesla confirmed it is performing engineering tests — not customer rides — in downtown Austin using 34 vehicles. "The Cybercab itself is a two-passenger vehicle designed from the ground up for full autonomy. Unlike the Model Y units currently running robotaxi rides in Austin, there is no retrofit here — no wheel removed, no pedals blocked off. The production Cybercab was engineered from day one without those controls, which is precisely why regulatory sign-off from Texas DoT carries weight."