Tesla is set to unveil its purpose-built Cybercab robotaxi at a dedicated event in Austin, Texas, on Thursday, marking a continued push forward in its autonomous driving business.

The event arrives as Tesla conducts public-road testing of the Cybercab and works to establish a robotaxi service, though questions remain over regulatory approval and compliance with federal safety standards.

Cybercab: A purpose-built model without steering wheel or pedals

The Cybercab is a two-seat vehicle with butterfly doors, representing the first Tesla model designed from the ground up for autonomous operation. The production version eliminates the steering wheel and pedals, although some test units spotted on U.S. roads have retained a steering wheel. Tesla first unveiled the Cybercab at Warner Bros. Studios roughly two years ago, and the vehicle is expected to join the autonomous fleet the company is currently building.

CEO Elon Musk has indicated the Cybercab will ultimately be priced at $30,000, positioning autonomous driving as a central pillar of Tesla's future business strategy.

Tesla opens Cybercab event to existing robotaxi riders

Users of Tesla's current robotaxi service, which runs on modified Model Y vehicles, have been given the opportunity to attend the "Cybercab Launch Event." The company has not yet detailed the event's agenda. According to posts from relevant users, Tesla promoted the gathering on X as an "exclusive experience: Cybercab" and sent invitations to selected guests. Tesla has also not announced a start time for Thursday's event. While Tesla has livestreamed major events in the past, official confirmation of a livestream for this Cybercab unveiling has not been provided.

Production and public road testing already underway

Tesla began manufacturing some Cybercab units in April and is already testing the vehicle on public roads. A report last month indicated that Tesla informed employees internally of plans to first offer rides to staff on public roads, before deploying the Cybercab into its Austin robotaxi service a few days later as an initial rollout step. This timeline has not yet been officially confirmed by Tesla.

Regulatory status remains uncertain

Tesla has not disclosed whether it has obtained the necessary regulatory permits to commercialize the Cybercab, nor has it confirmed whether the vehicle meets current federal safety mandates. The currently available fully autonomous driving (FSD) feature still requires active human supervision at all times, and the system has been involved in multiple collisions and traffic violations, prompting several federal investigations and lawsuits.

According to available information, the FSD version installed in the Cybercab is designed to operate without human oversight. Tesla claims FSD can achieve safety levels up to ten times higher than human drivers, though this assertion remains a corporate claim and should not be treated as an independently verified safety assessment.