Tesla says it will start selling Cybercabs by end of year

Tesla said it will start selling its Cybercab to customers by the end of the year, even as federal regulators investigate whether the vehicle meets vehicle safety standards. The Cybercab is an autonomous two-seater without a steering wheel and other traditional controls. Tesla plans to deliver the Cybercab as a robotaxi service, starting with small-scale deployments. The company will scale as it learns about delivery, ownership, and fleet management of autonomous vehicles. Tesla first floated the idea of selling the autonomous vehicle to third parties last month, but it wasn’t clear if Tesla would follow through, or how. Elon Musk has talked about building a massive fleet of low-cost robotaxis, but until recently, those plans centered on turning privately owned Tesla vehicles into self-driving taxis with a software update. The Cybercab is meant to be a ride-hailing vehicle, not a car people own. If both timelines hold, third-party fleet customers would be able to buy the autonomous Cybercab and potentially operate it as a robotaxi service before Tesla owners would get access to the same autonomous capability in their own cars. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened an investigation into the Cybercab, just hours after the vehicles began operating on public streets in Austin. The investigation examines the process and technical data on which Tesla relied when certifying the Cybercab and related issues. The outcome of the investigation could affect whether Tesla, or anyone else, can legally operate the Cybercab.

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