A Tesla Cybercab has been spotted driving around the Giga Texas factory complex in Austin, Texas. Since the Cybercab prototypes lack a steering wheel or pedals, the question becomes how is it being driven?
Tesla unveiled the Cybercab almost one month ago to the day, revealing a futuristic two-door robotaxi that could revolutionize personal transportation. One of the most prominent design features was obviously the lack of a steering wheel or pedals, signaling Tesla is all-in on an autonomous future.
Since its unveiling, the Cybercab has been seen at various Tesla events, including two ‘frunk and treat’ events for employees at Giga Texas and the Fremont factory. Also, as of last week, a Cybercab is on public display at Tesla’s Santana Row store in San Jose, California.
Outside of the unveiling, during which the Cybercab successfully completed 1300 trips and transported over 2000 guests safely in a closed setting, we have yet to see the Cybercab driving around in a less controlled environment. That changed on Saturday, as a Cybercab was spotted driving on the grounds of Giga Texas.
Tesla Cybercab seen driving at Giga Texas!!!#robotaxi #cybercab #gigatexas #elonmusk
— Adan Guajardo (@AdanGuajardo) November 10, 2024
@AdanGuajardo pic.twitter.com/DSwab7cHEE
One of the most notable aspects of the video is the speed at which the Cybercab appears to be moving. During the ‘We, Robot’ event, the Cybercab was limited to very slow speeds on the Warner Bros. Studio lot. However in this video it appears to be moving much quicker, also encountering real-life scenarios like a security access gate.
So without a steering wheel or pedals, how was it being driven? The most likely scenario would be that it is operating with an unreleased version of Full Self-Driving (Supervised), likely v13. We might also say there was a safety driver behind the wheel, like other autonomous vehicle companies employ, but without a steering wheel, it is probable there was a human sitting inside with some sort of device to intervene and bring the Cybercab to a stop if necessary. In Texas there are no licensing or registration requirements to test autonomous vehicles in the state, unlike California where the company requires regulatory approval to test the Cybercab with FSD. Add in that Giga Texas has private roads, and the factory and its location make it the perfect testing ground for the Cybercab.
The other possibility is that it is being remotely operated, although that seems less likely considering Tesla’s all-in position when it comes to autonomy. Tesla also confirmed that the Cybercabs at the unveil were not being remotely operated.
