Tesla to start selling Cybercab by end of this year
What's the story
Tesla has announced plans to begin selling its autonomous vehicle, the Cybercab, to customers by the end of this year. The announcement comes amid an ongoing investigation by federal regulators into whether the vehicle meets safety standards for public use. The futuristic gold-hued two-seater comes without a steering wheel or other traditional controls.
Vehicle details
Tesla's shift from software to robotaxis
The Cybercab is a major step toward Tesla CEO Elon Musk's vision of a huge fleet of affordable robotaxis.
However, until now, the plan was to convert privately owned Tesla cars into self-driving taxis with software updates.
As of now, Tesla owners can subscribe to Full Self-Driving (Supervised), an advanced driver-assistance system that automates many driving tasks but still requires human intervention.
Fleet expansion
Transitioning to a robotaxi fleet
During Tesla's third-quarter earnings call, Lars Moravy, the company's VP of Engineering, revealed that all currently produced Cybercabs are intended for Tesla's own robotaxi fleet.
He said as this fleet expands, Tesla will "mainly deliver fully designed autonomous vehicles to our customers."
However, he also clarified that this process would start small and scale up as they learn about delivery, ownership, and fleet management of these autonomous vehicles.
Ownership model
Musk's vision for cybercab usage
Musk has clarified that the Cybercab is primarily intended as a ride-hailing vehicle and not something people would own.
He said on the call, "Cybercab is primarily going to be something that is offered as like transport as a service."
This means most of the Cybercab operations will be Tesla-owned and provided as a service.
Regulatory scrutiny
Regulatory hurdles for cybercab use
The future of Tesla's Cybercab fleet plans hangs in the balance as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) probes whether it meets safety standards for public use.
The probe was launched just hours after Cybercabs started operating on public streets in Austin.
Current regulations don't allow vehicles without manual controls, but the Department of Transportation has proposed relaxing those rules for cars intended to be driven autonomously.