Like it or not, Tesla’s gilded Cybercab robotaxi is coming to your city someday. Prototype versions of the autonomous coupe have started popping up on the streets of MotorTrend’s hometown of Los Angeles, and we’ve finally caught one unattended while plugged into a Supercharger station in Culver City, California.
Cybercab Prototype vs. Concept
Much of what we saw is in line with the Cybercab concept revealed by Tesla at its Warner Bros. Discovery Movie studios debut, though there are notable differences. Some were merely cosmetic. The prototype’s gold paint was glossy and metallic, not matte, and its tires lacked a band of gold paint.
We also caught a glimpse of the Cybercab’s charge port location, which is low to the ground rather than at the top of the rear driver-side fender like the rest of Tesla’s current lineup. The Cybercab is supposed to launch with inductive charging, but this conventional NACS port serves as the means by which the two-door Tesla charges at traditional Supercharger stations. Unfortunately for the test driver, plugging in requires the individual to stoop down to access the port.
Peeking inside the window of the unsupervised test mule, we spied a yoke-style steering wheel bolted to the dash with a bracket. Upon closer inspection, there was a Cybertruck logo in the center of the yoke, answering our question as to where in the Tesla parts bin the steering apparatus was sourced.
We suspect the jerry-rigged yoke is merely for testing purposes; the Cybercab robotaxi
fleet vehicles will go into production sans a steering wheel or pedals. Aside from the steering yoke, this Cybercab’s interior is mostly consistent with the debut day demo unit. There’s a huge screen on the center of the dashboard and a pair of flat, non-bucket seats.
This prototype also gave us the chance to check out the Cybercab’s tire setup up close. The Cybercab we spotted was equipped with Continental aContact rubber measuring 215/60 R18 in the front and 225/60 R21 in the rear. The plastic covers, which were filthy and appeared to be crudely manufactured with obvious seams around the perimeter, hide the mismatching wheel sizes and generous sidewalls of the tires.
When Can I Ride in a Cybercab?
For now, development of the Cybercab continues apace following the start of production earlier this year. Public Tesla robotaxi rides are currently available in Model Y SUVs, but availability at present is limited to cities in Florida and Texas. Those eager to be driven in a Cybercab will have to keep waiting for Tesla to get regulatory approval on a state-by-state basis. As for the on-sale date of privately owned Cybercabs, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has said consumers will be able to purchase the Cybercab sometime in 2027 at a starting price under $30,000. Whether or not that will come to fruition on time and at that price point remains to be seen, just like the Tesla Roadster that we’re still waiting to see.