Tesla is banking on travelers wanting to hang out with themselves rather than an Uber driver.
The company announced that its Texas production facility, known as Gigafactory Texas, is ready to start preparing for a world without drivers.
‘A personalized driverless experience.’
Elon Musk’s company is diving further into the autonomous auto sector by not only ramping up its production of driverless vehicles, but by pairing specific vehicles with its taxi app that will compete with existing services like Waymo and GM’s Cruise.
“Purpose-built for autonomy,” Tesla wrote on X, promoting its new line called Cybercab. The vehicles are a new production of a battery-electric Tesla with neither steering wheels nor pedals available inside the car.
It was first shown off in 2024 and boasted futuristic wireless charging capabilities, with a rumored target range of 200 miles per charge.
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Cybercab will be combined with Tesla’s existing Robotaxi app — launched in 2025 — to create “a personalized driverless experience.”
Currently, the rides are offered on Tesla Model Y cars, but Tesla expects its new autonomous rides to target customers who grow tired of their human experiences. In this sense, Tesla notes how their rides differ from some of the most annoying parts of riding in someone else’s car.
Heating and cooling settings are saved in the passenger’s profile in the app, which means vehicles will automatically adjust to their settings across different rides. Other features target the aggravation of having to hear another person’s music selection, as the Robotaxi allows riders to stream their own.
There are some limitations though. For example, children under 8 years old, which of course includes infants, are not permitted to ride in the taxis. Guests between 8 and 17 years old are permitted in the cars, but minors cannot ride in the vehicle alone, per Robotaxi Rider Rules.
Riders must also adhere to applicable laws regarding small children, meaning a child safety seat may be required (provided by the customer) to bring them along.
Pets are also not permitted unless they are service animals.
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SUZANNE CORDEIRO/AFP/Getty Images
Only three passengers at a combined weight of 800 pounds may ride in the vehicle at one time, and no one can sit in the front seat, Tesla says.
Smoking, vaping, and alcohol consumption are also not allowed.
The company also lists strict rules about recording or collecting any data from inside the vehicle.
“Instruments or equipment intended to record, measure, reverse engineer, collect information about, or conduct surveillance of any feature, equipment, component, or area of our Robotaxi are strictly prohibited.”
The service is currently only available to residents in Austin, Dallas, and Houston, Texas.
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