AUSTIN, Texas — Tesla has deployed its new gold-colored Cybercabs in Austin, now picking up passengers through the company’s Robotaxi app.

Tesla’s Model Y robotaxis are already driving passengers around the city, but the Cybercabs are Elon Musk’s latest debut of upgraded autonomous vehicle (AV) technology.

Unlike the Model Y robotaxis, Cybercabs have no steering wheel or pedals. There is also no back seat or back windshield; the vehicles seat just two passengers.

Tesla deployed its autonomous Cybercabs in Austin on Sept 3. (Photo: CBS Austin/Audrey Wong)

How safe are Tesla’s Cybercabs?

Dr. Kara Kockelman, a transportation engineering professor at UT Austin, says there is not much of a safety difference between Tesla’s robotaxis and Cybercabs.

“They’re both amazing vehicles, incredible safety design, have sustained very well during extreme crashes that we’ve seen,” she said.

When asked if she’ll be looking to catch a ride in a Cybercab, Kockelman responded with a resolute “absolutely.”

Tesla deployed its autonomous Cybercabs in Austin on Sept 3. (Photo: CBS Austin/Audrey Wong)

However, she says passengers might still opt to ride in a Waymo if they are looking for the most comprehensive safety features.

“Waymo would be the safest because of the redundant sensors and software it has on board,” she said. “It has the light detection, and it has more cameras than the Teslas do. So it’s a more expensive vehicle and maybe a more complex vehicle, but it’s able to make better decisions under all sorts of lighting conditions and weather conditions.”

She says the lack of a steering wheel and pedals means that passengers must rely on safety systems built into the Cybercab software in cases of emergency.

“Safety regulation doesn’t really change much, except that the EMS systems still need to be able to get these vehicles out of the way if they malfunction, especially in the event of trying to access emergencies or help people flee certain sites,” she said.

Autonomous vehicles, and Waymo in particular, have been criticized for hindering first responders’ emergency response in Austin.

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Cybercab’s economic advantage

Kockelman says one of the biggest Cybercab benefits, to both Tesla and passengers

“They are less costly to manufacture than the 4-seater or the 5-seater Model Y, and of course without the pedals and the steering wheel…” she said. “I imagine you’ll be paying about $2 per mile like you are right now with the Tesla Robotaxi app, but it’s costing them more than that to deliver that service. So they are underpricing it. But eventually, you know, because of the mass ability to produce these vehicles off the Tesla Gigafactory assembly lines, you should be able to bring that price down to $2 per mile or less.”

Kockelman provided a statistic for comparison: the average American pays one dollar per mile to own and operate their own personal vehicle, assuming they drive 10,000 miles per year.

Tesla deployed its autonomous Cybercabs in Austin on Sept 3. (Photo: CBS Austin/Audrey Wong)

The new cabs will also use upgraded charging technology.

“They’ll be using inductive charging, so they will pull up to a battery system in the floor of the parking garage, and they’ll begin charging as your phone would be seated on an inductive charging pad,” said Kockelman. “It’s a great way to do it, so you don’t have to worry about humans being there to plug it in or trying to figure out a robotic system that can move the cord directly into the charging port.”

How to catch a ride in a Cybercab

Tesla was unavailable to speak to us, but data from the Texas DMV reports that 45 Cybercabs are registered in Texas as of today, Sept. 3.

Additionally, Tesla is celebrating the launch with an invite-only launch event and after-party in East Austin, according to a post on X by the Tesla Owners Club of Austin.

Prospective passengers can download Tesla’s Robotaxi app for a chance at catching a ride in a Cybercab.