Overview
- Elon Musk told shareholders the purpose-built Cybercab will enter production in April 2026 in Austin, describing a vehicle without a steering wheel, pedals or side mirrors.
- Public-road testing has stepped up near Tesla’s Palo Alto area, with prototypes spotted carrying temporary steering wheels and mirrors and showing updates like a higher tail, shorter rear panel, repositioned cameras and reflectors, and larger door panels.
- Tesla says the Cybercab will use an “Unboxed” assembly method, with Musk claiming an electronics-like line that could achieve a sub‑10‑second cycle time.
- Running a vehicle on public roads without traditional controls requires federal exemptions or approvals, and precedents such as Zoox’s limited exemption and GM’s unsuccessful Cruise Origin petition highlight a lengthy, uncertain process.
- Company messaging on controls diverges, with chair Robyn Denholm saying a wheel and pedals could be added if required by regulators, while Tesla’s current Full Self-Driving in customer cars still requires driver supervision.