Steering Towards Reality: Tesla’s Cybercab May Get A Wheel After All

Tesla’s chairwoman, Robin Denholm, has indicated that the company may consider redesigning its upcoming Cybercab electric vehicle to include a steering wheel and pedals if required. 

This marks a shift from the original concept, which was unveiled last year as a two-seater electric car without a steering wheel or pedals, intended to function as a fully autonomous robotaxi.

During the initial design phase, CEO Elon Musk had emphasised that the Cybercab would be a “clean robotaxi” with no mirrors, pedals, or steering wheel, reflecting Tesla’s commitment to full autonomy. 

The Cybercab is part of Tesla’s new ‘unboxed’ platform, which was also expected to support other affordable electric vehicles. However, Musk later cancelled those additional models, believing that autonomous driving would make them unnecessary.

Despite these ambitions, Tesla has not yet achieved unsupervised autonomous driving, and Musk’s predictions regarding its timeline have not materialised. 

The company plans to begin production of the Cybercab at its Gigafactory in Texas by 2026, with Musk stating that the vehicle will be central to Tesla’s future production growth. However, this growth is unlikely unless Tesla overcomes the challenges of fully autonomous driving.

Current US regulations allow only 2,500 vehicles per manufacturer per year to be produced without a steering wheel or pedals. Denholm, in a recent interview, clarified that Tesla is prepared to add these features to the Cybercab if necessary to comply with regulations.

The Cybercab is positioned as a more affordable alternative to the Model Y for Tesla’s Robotaxi service. However, industry observers note that unless Tesla’s self-driving technology advances significantly, the inclusion of a steering wheel and pedals will be essential for broader market adoption and regulatory approval.

Also read: Mercedes-Benz, Lucid, Uber, Others to Offer “Eyes-Off” Autonomous Driving Powered by Nvidia