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Oops! Many Tesla Cybercabs Actually Do Have Steering Wheels, Undercutting a Core Promise
Futurism • • business
Key Points:
- Tesla currently operates a small fleet of 45 Cybercabs in Austin, Texas, falling short of high investor expectations for its autonomous ride-hailing service's value creation.
- The Cybercabs spotted in New York City still have steering wheels and human drivers overseeing a "supervised" self-driving system, indicating Tesla is collecting driving data rather than launching a full robotaxi service.
- Tesla has not yet begun the permit application process for autonomous vehicle testing in New York, highlighting the early stage of its expansion plans for Cybercabs in major urban areas.
- Competitors like Waymo and Amazon’s Zoox have a significant lead, with Waymo completing over half a million paid rides weekly and Zoox receiving regulatory approval to charge for rides in fully driverless vehicles.
- Tesla faces a long development and regulatory road ahead before it can scale its robotaxi network nationally or match the operational scale of established rivals.
