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Elon Musk launches Tesla Cybercab in Austin, Texas, featuring a driverless robotaxi with no steering wheel or pedals

Tesla CEO Elon Musk launched the purpose-built Cybercab robotaxi in Austin, Texas, on Thursday. The gold-colored, two-seat vehicle operates without a steering wheel or brake pedals, relying on a camera-only system to navigate autonomously. The administration announced that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is currently evaluating the rollout of the Cybercab in Texas, as the vehicle lacks the traditional controls typically required by federal safety norms. During an invitation-only launch event at ACL Live, attendees were the first to experience rides in the driverless vehicle. Tesla has registered 45 Cybercabs to join its Texas robotaxi fleet. The company also released a robotaxi interest form for businesses interested in purchasing fleets or providing infrastructure for the network. This move indicates a shift toward allowing third-party companies to operate Tesla's autonomous vehicles, a departure from Musk's earlier vision of personal ownership. While Tesla stock rose over 5% ahead of the launch, it fell in after-hours trading. The company faces competition from industry leader Waymo, which currently operates a larger fleet of autonomous vehicles across the U.S.

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