Tesla Cybercab Completes First Passenger Ride in Austin

Tesla's driverless Cybercab has carried its first passengers on public roads in Austin, Texas. The vehicle, which lacks a steering wheel and pedals, completed an uneventful ride documented in a 14-minute video uploaded by longtime Tesla-focused content creator Sawyer Merritt.

Merritt and his wife were the passengers for the trip. The process began with them entering the vehicle, after which the butterfly doors closed automatically. A tap on the 'Start Ride' button on the central screen initiated the journey.

The Ride Experience

The drive itself was remarkably smooth and almost eerily uneventful. The Cybercab navigated the filmed route without hesitation, sudden braking, or abrupt maneuvers. It absorbed a speed bump smoothly, leading Merritt to praise the ride quality. He described the experience as quiet, soft, and 'perfectly boring'-a positive assessment for an autonomous taxi service.

Inside the cabin, the focus is on the large central screen, which measures around 21 inches. Passengers use this screen to control climate settings, seat adjustments, door operation, and entertainment. The two-seat bench slides forward and back as a whole, the backrests can be reclined, and it offers more legroom than the Cybercab's compact exterior might suggest.

The only notable error during the ride came from the AI voice assistant, Grok. It misinterpreted a request to adjust the cabin temperature as an instruction to change the destination.

A Limited Test

Merritt stated in the video that the Cybercab drives better than a human and is already so good it doesn't need further development. However, as a known enthusiastic Tesla supporter, his opinion should be treated strictly as one fan's opinion. A single successful, geofenced ride in Austin is nowhere near enough to make such an assessment.

The real-world challenges for the Cybercab remain substantial. It still needs to prove itself in inclement weather, avoiding roadworks, handling aggressive driving around it, or just the genuine unpredictability of traffic. Successfully navigating a limited section of Austin does not prove it can handle New York City's denser traffic, heavier pedestrian activity, and constant road obstructions.

Development Milestones

The start of passenger rides marks a significant milestone for Tesla and the entire driverless ride-hailing scene. The first production Cybercab rolled off the line in February. By June, Tesla was testing a steering-wheel-free version on Austin roads, albeit with a safety monitor in the passenger seat. Just before this week's launch, it registered 45 Cybercabs in Texas.

Merritt's footage provides important evidence that the Cybercab is no longer just a concept or prototype. Actual passengers are now sitting inside while it drives itself and, on this occasion, nothing particularly exciting happened, which is encouraging.