Tesla is preparing to introduce its self-driving Cybercab taxi service in Austin, Texas, as early as this month, with employees set to receive test rides on public roads before the vehicle joins a broader robotaxi fleet within days.
The Cybercab, designed without a steering wheel or pedals, has been undergoing road tests in production form since June. Chief Executive Elon Musk first promised autonomous taxis with no manual controls would reach public roads by 2021, a target the company missed by several years.
Separately, Tesla applied in June for permits to operate 5,000 autonomous vehicles in Las Vegas, but Nevada regulators approved a maximum fleet of just ten robotaxis, restricted to an approved corridor along the Las Vegas Strip with speeds capped at 45 mph and no passenger pickups within a quarter mile of the airport.