Oops! Many Tesla Cybercabs Actually Do Have Steering Wheels, Undercutting a Core Promise
Busted. The post Oops! Many Tesla Cybercabs Actually Do Have Steering Wheels, Undercutting a Core Promise appeared first on Futurism .
Elon Musk's Tesla is lagging behind in its Robotaxi autonomous ride-hailing network. Currently, the company operates only 45 Cybercabs in Austin, Texas, far from the expected $1 trillion value creation for Tesla over the years. New York City's Cybercabs spotted recently still have steering wheels, a throwback to a design phase Musk abandoned in 2024.
These vehicles are being tested under a supervised system where a human can intervene at any moment. The Tesla is not disclosing the number of Cybercabs in the city or the duration of testing. The company has not applied for permits to test autonomous vehicles with New York's Department of Motor Vehicles, as confirmed by Gothamist.
Tesla is collecting driving data, not rushing to launch a robotaxi service. Competitors like Waymo have completed over half a million paid rides weekly in the first quarter of the year, far surpassing Tesla's current numbers. Amazon's Zoox vehicles, approved to charge for rides, have been operating in Las Vegas and San Francisco without a steering wheel since 2025.
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