Robotaxi caught testing shuttle service with dummy steering as Tesla outs Cybercab apparel merch

Tesla is currently testing the Cybercab ride-share service on the grounds of its Gigafactory in Texas, where it will be produced in mass quantities in 2026, if Elon Musk gets his way with autonomous vehicle regulations by then.

Tesla intends to start with a fleet of existing vehicles that will provide driverless shuttle service on its Cybercab platform for its employees in Texas and California. That is the so-called unsupervised FSD stage, for which it has to show that the self-driving system is safer than a human driver. Elon Musk is adamant that this would happen in the next three months, and wants to launch unsupervised FSD by the end of this year in select cities in those two states.

Even that stage of its Robotaxi platform rollout will meet mountains of red tape, though, let alone a driverless Cybercab with no steering wheel or pedals, so it remains to be seen if Tesla's self-imposed deadline can be met. Elon's optimism may stem from the fact that he will be in charge of a newfangled Department Of Government Efficiency (DOGE) agency, which he said will aim to spearhead autonomous vehicle regulations on the federal level, benefitting all EV manufacturers in the process.

Still, analysts remain skeptical about the chances of any driverless car without steering wheel or pedals to gain permission for public roads any time soon. That is why a recent drone overflight of the Giga Texas grounds that caught the Cybercab driving with what could be interpreted as a steering wheel sparked such frenzy.

People wanted to believe that Tesla may equip the Cybercab with a steering wheel at launch to speed up regulatory approval. Alternatively, they argued, this could be the mass market Model 2/Q that was supposed to be released before the Cybercab and be based on the same unboxed platform.

In reality, however, the purported Cybercab steering wheel was most likely a visual trick like an A-pillar shadow over the tinted windshield, or a seat belt running across a passenger dummy. The Cybercab seemed to be dropping off passengers and pulling away, all tests that Tesla would have to do for the purported employee shuttle service.

Even if the object was a steering wheel, it could've been an engineering controller, of the type that Tesla uses to maneuver the Cybercab up and down ramps and on expo floors and showrooms where it often gets exhibited. When we asked how did the Cybercab get to its display spot at a recent automotive expo in Brussels, the Tesla team first said "magic" with a big grin, and then that "if there is a computer inside, anything is possible," implying some sort of manual control over the Cybercab is certainly possible.

In any case, the American public seems to be a long time away from seeing the Cybercab perform ride-share services via Tesla's dedicated platform on public roads, but Tesla is already releasing dedicated merchandise to tide its fans over until then.

The Cybercab has now been inaugurated in Tesla's apparel store with a black T-shirt featuring its logo and silhouette on the front, and a Tesla wordmark on the back. Tesla is selling its Cybercab Tee for $40 and says that it has been inspired by the Cybercab launch event to matche its gold exterior.

Get the 80A Tesla Gen 2 Wall Connector with 24' cable on Amazon