Tesla Launches Cybercab Rides in Austin Via Robotaxi App, Nearly Two Years After Unveiling the Autonomous Vehicle Without a Steering Wheel

Tesla has officially launched the Cybercab, its autonomous vehicle with no steering wheel, nearly two years after it was first unveiled. The company announced on its website that it now offers Cybercab rides through its Robotaxi app on iOS and Android. Users can hail autonomous rides through the app in Austin, Dallas, Houston, Miami, Orlando and Tampa, but the Cybercab option only appears to be initially available in Austin.

Even in Austin, what customers get will depend on the number of people in the group and on availability — they can't choose to get a Cybercab, at least for now. Hail your car and use it for errands, commuting and more, Tesla wrote about the vehicle on its website. As The New York Times notes, Tesla is authorized to operate 314 vehicles without a driver in Texas.

Most of them are Model Ys, with only 45 units in the fleet being Cybercabs. It's also not clear how many are operating as taxis and how many are part of the company's testing efforts. Cybercabs don't have steering wheels and brake pads. They were designed with complete autonomy in mind, with absolutely no driver controlling the vehicle.