Tesla’s highly anticipated Robotaxi will start operating in the US next weekend. However, it’s not the Cybercab yet.
Tesla managed to build up considerable excitement leading up to the unveiling of its Robotaxi last fall. Ultimately, the arrival of the Robotaxi also turned out to involve a new model: the Cybercab. The Cybercab is intended to fulfill the role of Robotaxi, but not from the outset. Next weekend, the Robotaxi will start its first services, and this will initially be done with a Model Y.
This is evident from the invitation that Tesla is sending to users in the US. It features a Model Y and the message that the Robotaxi service will start this Sunday for an ‘early access’ round in Austin, Texas. In practice, this means that people there can book a Model Y with FSD, which will transport you within a defined area to a pre-selected location. Similar to how Waymo operates in California, for example. Earlier, CEO Elon Musk announced that the Model Y and Model 3 could be used as Robotaxis. It is not yet clear when the steering wheel-less Tesla Cybercab will hit the road as a Robotaxi. At the unveiling, Tesla mentioned ‘before 2027’.