Cybercab

The Cybercab is a self-driving taxi built by Tesla. There's no steering wheel or pedals in the driver's seat, so the person riding inside has no way to hit the brakes or steer even in an emergency. It's easier to think of it not as a car but as a robotic capsule that moves on its own.

In Austin, Tesla had already been running robotaxis that still had steering wheels and pedals. The Cybercab is the next step: a vehicle that removes those controls entirely. It was introduced as a dedicated model with a futuristic design and gold-colored body, distinct from the existing robotaxi.

For the Cybercab to actually operate safely, though, it has to clear two hurdles. One is a technical hurdle: accurately reading road conditions using cameras alone. The other is a psychological hurdle: getting people comfortable enough to trust their safety to a car with no steering wheel.

As it appears in articles: "Dozens of self-driving Cybercabs with no steering wheel or brake pedal hit the streets of Austin, Texas." A common misunderstanding here is treating the Cybercab as the same thing as Tesla's existing robotaxi — but the existing robotaxi still has a steering wheel and pedals, while the Cybercab is a separate vehicle that removes them.