Elon Musk-owned Tesla to launch Cybercab robotaxi service in Austin this month; employees to get first ri - The Times of India

Elon Musk-owned electric car maker Tesla has reportedly told its employees that it will soon announce the public launch of Cybercab – its self-driving taxi service powered by AI and full self-driving tech. According to a report by The Information, the service will be first rolled out in Austin, Texas as early as this month. As per the report, Tesla is planning to initially offer the Cybercab rides to its employees on public roads before adding the vehicles to its robotaxi service just days later. The EV car manufacturer has been preparing for the potential launch through several stages of testing. The company has reportedly conducted test drives, given employees rides on private roads and trained local first responders ahead of a possible public rollout.Tesla began Cybercab production in JuneAccording to The Information report, Tesla began testing the production version of the Cybercab on public roads in June. Production of the vehicle is expected to increase later this year. The Cybercab is designed specifically for autonomous driving and does not have conventional driving controls such as a steering wheel or pedals. However, Tesla Board Chair Robyn Denholm said last year that the company remains open to equipping the vehicle with traditional controls.Tesla has already started Cybercab rides in AustinTesla CFO Vaibhav Taneja said during the company's second-quarter earnings call that the company had already started testing the Cybercab at its Austin factory. "We’ve started doing Cybercab rides in our factory in Austin," Taneja said.A wider launch on public roads would mark a major step for Tesla's robotaxi plans, which CEO Elon Musk has repeatedly presented as an important part of the company's future.Tesla faces competition from WaymoTesla's planned Cybercab rollout comes as Alphabet's Waymo continues to expand its driverless robotaxi business. Waymo recently received approval in California to expand its driverless ride-hailing service across the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles, while also entering Sacramento and San Diego. The company now provides more than 500,000 fully autonomous electric rides each week and has completed more than 220 million rider-only autonomous miles.Tesla is also expanding its robotaxi operations beyond Austin, with services planned in Dallas and Houston.Get the latest technology news and updates. Download the TOI App.