Elon Musk says Tesla's Cybercab has started production
Tesla's Cybercab has started production, according to CEO Elon Musk.
In a post on X on Friday, the company co-owner shared a very Cyberpunk 2077 video of the autonomous vehicles rolling through the production line, seemingly at Tesla's Giga Texas factory in Austin, Texas.
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On the same day, Tesla's official Robotaxi account also posted a video of Cybercabs "in formation" on a highway.
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Tesla's first Cybercab rolled off the production line on Feb. 18, with the company posting a celebratory photo. In its Q4 2025 earnings call, Tesla had moved the production of Cybercab up to 2026, and in its Q1 2026 earnings call, the company said it "expect[s] volume production of both Cybercab and the Tesla Semi this year," the latter referring to the awaited electric truck.
At launch in 2024, Musk said Tesla would produce 2 million units a year of Cybercab in full production capacity, which would be approximately 38,000 vehicles per week. In these early stages, it's likely to be more like hundreds per week. The company has a history of production delays, and before any of those Cybercabs hits the road, they've got to be approved by regulators.
60 Cybercab units were then spotted at Tesla's Giga Texas in Austin in early April, where the vehicles will all be produced. Drone operator Joe Tegtmeyer reported the autonomous vehicles indeed had steering wheels — the cars in Musk's video do not, they have large screens like most Tesla vehicles — so could be early models.
What is the difference between Tesla Cybercab and Robotaxi?
But wait, doesn't Tesla already have Cybercabs cruising around on the streets of Texas? Not exactly, but the confusion is real.
Unveiled in 2024 at Tesla's "We, Robot" event, the Cybercab is a fully autonomous electric vehicle that hasn't yet hit the streets. As Mashable's Stan Schroeder reported then, "both names [Cybercab and Robotaxi] were used throughout the event." It's gold, has butterfly wing doors, and will have no steering wheel or pedals.
Tesla's self-driving rideshare vehicles currently in operation are called Robotaxis, which are autonomous Model Y cars. Launched in Austin in 2025, these are the company's competition with Waymo and Uber, and they're black, have steering wheels and pedals, and though they're driverless, they travel with human safety monitors nearby. Tesla tried to trademark the term "Robotaxi" at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, but the request was denied.
Essentially, Robotaxis are on the road now; Cybercabs will eventually replace them.
In Tesla's Q1 2026 earnings call, the company said, "In Q1, paid Robotaxi miles nearly doubled sequentially. Once in production, we expect that Cybercab will begin to replace the existing Model Y fleet and will be the largest volume vehicle in the fleet over time."
Essentially, Robotaxis are on the road now; Cybercabs will eventually replace them.
A Tesla Cybercab that was displayed during SXSW in Austin in March had the word Robotaxi on it (and had a screen, not a steering wheel). But in Musk's video, the word Cybercab is emblazoned on the screen.
Time to get to work then, Tesla.
Topics Self-Driving Cars Tesla
Shannon Connellan is Mashable's Senior Editor, General Assignments, based in London. She has been Mashable's UK Editor (and still manages the illustrious UK team) and Australia Editor, but emotionally, she lives searching for Exit 8. A Tomatometer-approved critic, Shannon writes about entertainment, tech, social good, science, culture, and Australian horror, and loves to nerd out with movie stars, filmmakers, and TV creators.
