ⓘ Tesla

Tesla has started teasing a launch event for its Cybercab robotaxi with an integrated Starlink dish, and the way it's handing out invitations reminds of the Cybertruck launch. Rather than sending formal invites to press or investors, the company is introducing entry tickets as rewards.

Anyone who books a Robotaxi ride in Austin through August 23 earns an entry into a drawing, with winners set to be announced on August 25. More rides mean better odds, and Tesla has offered no cap on entries, effectively using the promotion to plump ridership numbers just as the Cybercab nears its public debut.

There's still no confirmed date, location, or list of eligible markets for the actual event, which should come in September. Reports point to Tesla following the same phased rollout it used for its Model Y Robotaxi service, starting with employee rides on public roads before opening up more broadly. Sources suggest the initial stage will be a soft launch limited mostly to Tesla staff rather than a full public rollout.

The event itself could lean heavily on spectacle, as Tesla's Cybercab is a two-seater without pedals or a steering wheel that depends entirely on FSD to function, so demonstrations of remote monitoring, safety fallback systems, and ride experience are likely to dominate. Given Musk's track record, a few surprises like Optimus cameos or new autonomy claims shouldn't be ruled out, too.

It remains to be seen whether the hardware matches the hype, as Tesla's Robotaxi fleet has logged around 380,000 driverless miles across all hubs combined, but that is still a fraction of what rivals like Waymo have already racked up.

The Cybercab is nothing like the current robotaxis on public roads without a human backup behind the wheel, be it only for the fact that said wheel is nonexistent. Moreover, the two-seater is charged wirelessly, for which Tesla recently filed a patent, and it would be interesting to see demonstrations of how this will be carried out.

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ⓘ Tesla

Daniel Zlatev - Senior Tech Writer - 2189 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2021

Wooed by tech since the industrial espionage of Apple computers and the times of pixelized Nintendos, Daniel went and opened a gaming club when personal computers and consoles were still an expensive rarity. Nowadays, fascination is not with specs and speed but rather the lifestyle that computers in our pocket, house, and car have shoehorned us in, from the infinite scroll and the privacy hazards to authenticating every bit and move of our existence.