A man takes a photo inside a Tesla's "Cybercab" as it's displayed in downtown Austin, Texas, on September 3, 2026. (AFP Photo)
Tesla has announced the debut of its self-driving robotaxi, dubbed "Cybercab," in a bid to compete with the likes of Uber and Waymo.
First unveiled in October 2024, the gold-colored vehicle has no pedals or steering wheel. With a capacity to carry two passengers, it was specifically designed to provide driverless taxi services.
CEO Elon Musk on Sept. 3 posted an image on X of a Cybercab looming over Austin, a cloud of dust behind it.
Cybercabs have been seen in the streets of Austin leading up to the event, with passengers now seeing the option to choose the new vehicle in Tesla's updated dedicated app.
Musk forecast a "storm of Cybercabs" in Austin, where Tesla held an invite-only event at an entertainment venue, which was not open to the media.
Last year Tesla debuted its self-driving cars in Austin using its Model Y SUV vehicles, with the "Robotaxi" service gradually expanding to several other cities in Texas, Florida and California.
However, state laws require many of the vehicles to have a human supervisor or driver ready to take over control if necessary.
Tesla had registered 314 robotaxis in Texas as of Sept. 2, including 45 Cybercabs.
Itay Michaeli, an analyst at TD Securities, told AFP he expects a "slow launch" of the Cybercab similar to that of the Robotaxi. Tesla will likely take into account feedback from early users before expanding the service, he said.
