<\/p>\n
Austin American-Statesman reporter Andrea Guzm\u00e1n exits a Tesla Cybercab on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026.<\/p>\n
Jay Janner\/Austin American-Statesman<\/p>\n
The butterfly doors lifted open without anyone pressing a button.<\/p>\n
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My colleague and I climbed into Tesla\u2019s new Cybercab as it waited outside the Austin American-Statesman newsroom. Before it even moved, the vehicle felt unfamiliar.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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A Tesla Cybercab in Austin on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026.<\/p>\n
Jay Janner\/Austin American-Statesman<\/p>\n
The view from inside a Tesla Cybercab in Austin on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026.<\/p>\n
Jay Janner\/Austin American-Statesman<\/p>\n
The view from inside a Tesla Cybercab as another Cybercab passes by in Austin on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026.<\/p>\n
Jay Janner\/Austin American-Statesman<\/p>\n
There was no steering wheel. No rear window. Once we did start to move, I couldn\u2019t immediately tell how fast we were traveling because I didn\u2019t notice a speedometer or heads-up speed display. Instead, a large screen showed renderings of nearby cars and pedestrians.<\/p>\n
Like other robotaxis, the Cybercab checked that we\u2019d buckled our seat belts and asked us to tap \u201cStart\u201d on a screen before pulling away. The similarities mostly ended there.<\/p>\n
A few minutes later, approaching a green light in South Austin, the Cybercab abruptly braked.<\/p>\n
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Looking up, I didn\u2019t spot another vehicle or obstruction in front of us. The vehicle seemingly had no reason to stop. It was what I suspect to be an instance of \u201cphantom braking.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The phenomenon has more commonly been reported in Tesla Model 3 and Model Y vehicles. In July, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration closed an evaluation into such unexpected deceleration, saying it was a low hazard to drivers and reports of the issue had declined.<\/p>\n
Hitting the road<\/p>\n
That moment underscored why my first ride came with some apprehension. Although trying out new tech is part of my job, clicking \u201cbook ride\u201d had initially filled me with a bit of dread.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Austin American-Statesman reporter Andrea Guzm\u00e1n hails a Tesla Cybercab on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026.<\/p>\n
Jay Janner\/Austin American-Statesman<\/p>\n
On the first day of commercial operations after its Sept. 3 launch, Tesla\u2019s purpose-built robotaxi was already under\u00a0scrutiny from federal safety regulators<\/a>. And the Austin-based automaker has a\u00a0history of investigations<\/a> into the safety of its driver-assistance technology.\u00a0<\/p>\n Apart from the sudden stop, though, most of the trip to the University of Texas Co-op\u00a0\u2014 a roughly $20 ride\u00a0\u2014 passed uneventfully.<\/p>\n The Cybercab\u2019s driving style did strike me as more assertive than my own at times. While traveling in the left lane on South First Street, the vehicle quickly moved into the right lane after the car in front of us put on a left turn signal and slowed. My own more cautious driving habits \u2014 shaped by the thought that a speeding Texas driver might be approaching in the neighboring lane \u2014 would have left me waiting until I was sure the road was clear before changing lanes.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n About those doors<\/p>\n When it first arrived, the vehicle pulled up neatly to a curb and opened the door at my command, though it stopped short of opening fully because of the vehicle to its left.\u00a0<\/p>\n Austin American-Statesman reporter Andrea Guzm\u00e1n takes a ride in a Tesla Cybercab on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026.<\/p>\n Jay Janner\/Austin American-Statesman<\/p>\n Some have voiced concern over the butterfly doors crashing into people or objects. This was also on a less-busy side street by the Co-op, rather than on the busy road I\u2019d selected out of curiosity about how the vehicle would perform on a major thoroughfare.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n After the ride, the robotaxi phone app asked if I would like to tip 69 cents or $4.20, the crude and pot-related jokes CEO\u00a0Elon Musk seems to never tire of.<\/p>\n While it was about a 15-minute wait to summon the first Cybercab, the next ride\u00a0\u2014 in a different cab that had been roaming the area\u00a0\u2014 arrived quickly.\u00a0<\/p>\n Confident, or not<\/p>\n Unfortunately, the vehicle hit a snag trying to exit the university area. The Cybercab initially gave a pedestrian the right of way, then started and stopped again as the pedestrian waved for the vehicle to pass first.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The view from inside a Tesla Cybercab in Austin on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026.<\/p>\n Jay Janner\/Austin American-Statesman<\/p>\n Its confidence came back in other moments. While cruising in the right lane behind several vehicles, the Cybercab moved into the passing lane, went around a couple of slower-moving cars and returned to the right lane.<\/p>\n This assertiveness of the driving in Tesla robotaxis doesn\u2019t seem to be very consistent, though. In a Model Y ride this summer, I noticed the vehicle clumsily inching forward and stopping while attempting a right turn, as though it were uncertain whether it could go before oncoming traffic arrived.<\/p>\n And when Tesla\u2019s robotaxis speed up or make split-second decisions, the moves do little to make up for additional travel time tacked on by the vehicles taking less efficient routes<\/a>. In one instance, a rider reported that the typical 7-mile trip from 99 Ranch to the Domain took an hour when the\u00a0Cybercab headed south and drove through East Austin. In comparison, Waymo is now rolling out freeway routes in Austin, noting it can help riders get to their destinations faster.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Comfort is also not guaranteed on longer drives in the Cybercab. While I\u2019ve found Waymo\u2019s Jaguar-based vehicles to offer cushy, supportive seats, the Cybercab\u2019s seats reminded me of the flat, sleek-looking seats airlines have grown accustomed to using. Sure, there is plenty of legroom, but my glutes were sore after the second ride.<\/p>\n Fit and finish<\/p>\n Beyond the initial novelty, some of the Cybercab\u2019s design choices may also shape riders’ sense of safety and convenience. It can be a bit of a shock stepping into a vehicle and not seeing a steering wheel, pedals or even a rear window.\u00a0<\/p>\n The door handle inside a Tesla Cybercab in Austin on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026.<\/p>\n Jay Janner\/Austin American-Statesman<\/p>\n But it\u2019s still shaped like a car, a similarity Tesla shares with most other robotaxi companies, while competitor Zoox is preparing to win over consumers in its carriage-like vehicle. Riders will also need to keep in mind that Waymo, Zoox and Tesla\u2019s Model Y can seat four while the Cybercab only fits two.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Additionally, some basic functions might not feel intuitive for those unfamiliar with Tesla\u2019s features. My colleague\u2019s attempt to roll down the windows resulted in a loud beep from the vehicle, warning that the button controlled the door.<\/p>\n And when it comes to Tesla\u2019s doors, the\u00a0Cybercab uses the same design that led to a\u00a0recall in China<\/a> over concerns the doors could be difficult to open in an emergency.<\/a> If a safety-critical event is detected in the Cybercab, Tesla says that the doors unlock for easier exit and a Tesla representative is pinged electronically. If airbags are deployed, the vehicle windows automatically roll down.<\/p>\n With the Cybercab, Tesla is trying to market an accessible, futuristic taxi. The vehicle includes Braille for blind or visually impaired riders. The screen also allows riders to log into Hulu or Netflix and watch a movie, play games or ask SpaceXAI\u2019s chatbot, Grok, some questions.<\/p>\n The view from inside a Tesla Cybercab in Austin on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026.<\/p>\n Jay Janner\/Austin American-Statesman<\/p>\n And, like many places in this age of surveillance, the interior is being watched. The robotaxi app tells riders there are cameras in the vehicle and riders will surely feel the stares of onlookers, a typical event with a product associated with Musk.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n For many people, the Cybercab and other autonomous vehicles remain more a novelty than everyday transportation. With commercial operations limited to a handful of U.S. cities, only 5% of Americans have ridden in a driverless car<\/a>. Cybercab may not catch on quickly in Austin, either. In a recent poll<\/a>, 66% of Austinites said they opposed\u00a0Cybercab\u2019s operation as a commercial taxi.<\/p>\n So far, Austin is the only place served by the gold-colored robotaxis. but Tesla is developing a parking and dispatch site for them near San Antonio International Airport and Musk has said Cybercab \u201cwill soon be operating commercially in Florida, in Nevada, and a couple of other states. And, probably, by the middle of next year it will be operating commercially in California.\u201d<\/p>\n Austin American-Statesman reporter Andrea Guzm\u00e1n gathers her belongings after riding in a Tesla Cybercab on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026.<\/p>\n Jay Janner\/Austin American-Statesman<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Austin American-Statesman reporter Andrea Guzm\u00e1n exits a Tesla Cybercab on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026. 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