Tesla’s Cybercab may be closer to production than ever before. In a move that has become a Tesla tradition, the company has shared images of the vehicle at an In-N-Out drive-thru — a subtle but significant sign that its design phase may now be complete.
The post, shared on X by the Tesla AI account, showed the Cybercab “going Animal Style,” a tongue-in-cheek nod to the burger chain’s secret menu. Inside, two engineers with their faces covered by helmets like an astronaut and the Stig added to the humour, but beneath that was a more serious takeaway: Tesla appears to be signaling that the Cybercab’s design and engineering have been finalized.
Elon Musk has previously said that taking a new vehicle through an In-N-Out drive-thru marks a special milestone at Tesla. The same ritual occurred in June 2023 with the Cybertruck, and just five months later, that vehicle entered production and began deliveries.
If Tesla follows a similar timeline, it suggests the Cybercab could debut on public roads as soon as early 2026, aligning with Musk’s recent comments during the Q3 2025 earnings call that production would start in Q2 2026.
Further strengthening this theory is that after a closer look at the new photos, the Cybercab’s exterior looks more refined than ever. The front end now features a license plate mounted on a new front bumper with a longer front splitter and amber turn signals, consistent with manufacturing readiness.
There have also been revisions to the door design and camera placement compared to earlier prototypes first shown at Tesla’s 2024 ‘We, Robot’ event.
Additionally, the front seats have been moved forward to a more natural “driving” position, unlike the original prototypes which were placed further back for more leg room, even though Elon Musk confirmed last week the vehicle will definitely not have a steering wheel and pedals.
This sighting at an In-N-Out drive-thru comes just days after the first Cybercabs were spotted testing public roads. Last week a prototype Cybercab was seen driving through Palo Alto, California near Tesla’s engineering headquarters. The company has also gone on a hiring spree for various Cybercab manufacturing roles at Giga Texas, where installation of equipment for the Cybercab production line has been progressing steadily over the past several months.
