San Francisco Frontiers - Tesla to launch self-driving 'Cybercab' in Texas

Tesla CEO Elon Musk ramped up his marketing blitz Thursday on his X platform, posting an image of a Cybercab looming over the Texas capital city Austin, a cloud of dust behind it.

First unveiled in October 2024, the gold-colored vehicle has no pedals or steering wheel. With a capacity to carry two passengers, it was specifically designed to provide driverless taxi services.

In late August, Tesla shared a promotional image on social media promising "exclusive access" to Cybercabs at Thursday's event in Austin, where Tesla is headquartered.

The company has shared few specifics. Fans of the brand who claim they are among the invitees say the event will begin at 4:45 pm local time (2145 GMT).

Last year Tesla debuted its self-driving cars in Austin using its Model Y SUV vehicles, with the "Robotaxi" service gradually expanding to several other cities in Texas, Florida and California.

However, state laws require many of the vehicles to have a human supervisor or driver ready to take over control if necessary.

Waymo, the self-driving vehicle subsidiary of Google parent company Alphabet, offers its services in 11 US cities.

Tesla had registered 314 robotaxis in Texas as of Wednesday, including 45 Cybercabs, according to FSD Database, which has compiled data from the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles.

Itay Michaeli, an analyst at TD Securities, expects a phased rollout of the Cybercab similar to that of the Robotaxi.

It will "be a slow launch," he told AFP, adding that Tesla would likely take into account feedback from early users before expanding the service.

Texas has regulations favorable to autonomous vehicles, making it one of the preferred testing grounds for many robotaxi services already in operation, such as Waymo and Zoox, or in trials, such as Motional and Avride.

K.Gray--SFF