The highly anticipated Tesla Cybercab has been seen again, testing on the streets of Austin, Texas, and unsurprisingly, the test versions were fitted with steering wheels. The most recent observation, posted by a Reddit user, indicates that there were 2 Cybercab prototypes that were spotted driving side by side on South Lamar Boulevard.
While this is standard practice for early testing, it has led to a controversy over whether Tesla can truly deliver on its bold promise of a steering-wheel-less autonomous vehicle.
The first thing that catches the eye in the pictures is the presence of traditional manual controls. It is not the first time such a sighting has occurred. Steering wheels were also added to previous Cybercab prototypes seen around Giga Texas, leading to the same rumors on the Tesla autonomy roadmap.
Why Steering Wheels on Test Vehicles Are Normal
Regulatory and engineering-wise, it is fully understandable that during testing, a steering wheel should be present. Even fully autonomous designed vehicles that are used on public roads will usually need manual controls. The laws of most jurisdictions require that a human safety driver can take any action immediately in case the autonomous system experiences a malfunction.
In that sense, the Austin sighting doesn’t necessarily contradict Tesla’s vision. Most developers of autonomous vehicles (Waymo, Cruise, etc.) have been experimenting with vehicles with manual controls long before coming up with more radical designs.
Tesla’s Promise: No Pedals, No Mirrors, No Steering Wheel
This controversy is the result of unambiguous words of Tesla CEO Elon Musk when he revealed the Cybercab. Musk described the car as having been constructed as a fully autonomous vehicle and said: No mirrors, no pedals, no steering wheel. The Cybercab is designed by Tesla as a fully autonomous robotaxi, which means that no human operator will be required.
Nevertheless, with the scheduled production timeframe of 2026 fast approaching, it is becoming increasingly doubtful that Tesla has the Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology to sustain such a bold design.
A Rare Acknowledgment From Tesla’s Leadership
To the speculation, one may add previous remarks of Tesla Chairwoman Robyn Denholm. She had already admitted that Tesla could include a steering wheel in the Cybercab when necessary, which is a stark contrast to the view by Musk that it or not is entirely autonomous. Her comments pointed out regulatory and technical ambiguities that fully autonomous cars continue to have.
What makes the situation worse is that Tesla reportedly has not yet released its next-generation AI5 chip, and now it is scheduled to do so in mid-2027. This implies that the Cybercab would probably be introduced with the existing AI4 hardware. Unless AI4 has already attained unsupervised control over millions of Model 3 and Model Y cars, it is questionable whether this technology will be ready to power a fully driverless Cybercab within a far shorter period of time.
