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Tesla plans to introduce its Cybercab robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, before the end of August. The company will reportedly offer the first public-road rides to employees. Cybercabs could join Tesla’s existing Austin robotaxi fleet several days later. People familiar with the preparations said the launch schedule ‘could still change.’
Tesla has informed employees about preparations for the initial Cybercab rollout, according to The Information. The company plans to carry staff on public roads before opening wider access.
These controlled rides will allow Tesla to monitor the vehicles under normal traffic conditions. The company has already carried employees along private routes near its Austin facility.
Moreover, Tesla recently trained local police, fire, and rescue teams. The sessions covered Cybercab operations and possible emergency responses involving vehicles without standard driving controls.
Tesla has not publicly confirmed the reported August launch schedule. It also did not immediately respond to media requests for further information about the rollout.
The company followed a similar testing process before opening its Austin robotaxi operation. Tesla initially limited access while monitoring vehicle performance inside a defined service area.
Tesla started testing the production version of Cybercab on public roads in June. These tests followed earlier development work at the company’s Texas manufacturing site.
Chief Financial Officer Vaibhav Taneja confirmed factory testing during Tesla’s second-quarter earnings call. “We’ve started doing Cybercab rides in our factory in Austin,” Taneja said.
The Cybercab carries two passengers and uses Tesla’s autonomous driving technology. Unlike the company’s current passenger vehicles, it has no steering wheel or pedals.
Tesla designed the vehicle specifically for driverless transport rather than private ownership. Even so, board chair Robyn Denholm previously said Tesla could add traditional controls if necessary.
Production should increase later this year, according to the report. Tesla will need enough vehicles to support a broader robotaxi network after completing its early Austin deployment.
Meanwhile, the company continues to collect operational data from its existing robotaxi service. Those vehicles operate within selected areas where Tesla has established specific service boundaries.
Tesla enters the purpose-built robotaxi market while Waymo expands its autonomous ride-hailing business. The Alphabet-owned company currently operates driverless services across several American markets.
California recently approved Waymo’s expansion across the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles. The company has also entered Sacramento and San Diego with its autonomous vehicles.
Waymo now provides more than 500,000 fully autonomous electric rides each week. Its vehicles have also completed over 220 million rider-only autonomous miles.
By comparison, Tesla has reported about 380,000 driverless miles across its robotaxi operations. The two companies use different vehicles, systems, and deployment strategies.
Tesla currently uses modified passenger vehicles for its Austin robotaxi service. The Cybercab launch would add a vehicle built entirely around autonomous operation.
Additionally, Tesla plans to expand its robotaxi services beyond Austin. Dallas and Houston appear among the next planned markets, although the company has not provided firm launch dates.
Employee rides will mark the first stage of the Austin Cybercab launch. Tesla then plans to place the vehicles into its active robotaxi service within days.
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