Electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla is set to launch its self-driving robotaxi, known as the Cybercab, in Austin, Texas, on Thursday as it seeks to strengthen its position in the growing autonomous taxi market.
Tesla Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk stepped up promotion of the vehicle on Thursday, sharing an image on his X platform showing a Cybercab above the Texas capital with a cloud of dust behind it.
Tesla first unveiled the Cybercab in October 2024. The gold-coloured vehicle was designed specifically for driverless taxi services and has no steering wheel or pedals.
The vehicle can carry two passengers and is intended to operate without a human driver.
Tesla had earlier shared a promotional image on social media announcing “exclusive access” to Cybercabs at Thursday’s event in Austin, where the company is headquartered.
The company has, however, released limited details about the launch. Fans who said they were invited to the event claimed it would begin at 4:45 pm local time on Thursday.
Tesla has already begun testing its autonomous driving technology in Austin using Model Y sport utility vehicles.
The company launched its Robotaxi service in the city last year and has gradually expanded the service to other cities across Texas, Florida and California.
However, regulations in some states require autonomous vehicles to have a human supervisor or driver available to take control when necessary.
Tesla had registered 314 robotaxis in Texas as of Wednesday, including 45 Cybercabs, according to FSD Database, which compiles information from the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles.
The launch places Tesla in competition with established autonomous vehicle operators, including Waymo, the self-driving vehicle subsidiary of Alphabet, Google’s parent company.
Waymo currently operates its autonomous ride-hailing service in 11 US cities.
Other companies, including Zoox, Motional and Avride, are also operating or testing autonomous vehicles in Texas, which has regulations considered favourable to the development and deployment of self-driving technology.
Analyst at TD Securities, Itay Michaeli, expects Tesla to introduce the Cybercab gradually rather than launch the service at full scale immediately.
“It will be a slow launch,” Michaeli told AFP, saying Tesla would likely use feedback from early users to refine the service before expanding it further.
The Cybercab launch is part of Musk’s broader push to make autonomous vehicles a major part of Tesla’s future business.
The company is hoping its robotaxi technology can help it compete in an increasingly crowded autonomous transportation market, while reducing reliance on conventional vehicles driven by humans.