Tesla Expands Cybercab to 169 Texas Vehicles as Austin Launch Exposes Growth Hurdles
Updated
Updated · CNBC · Oct 3
Tesla Expands Cybercab to 169 Texas Vehicles as Austin Launch Exposes Growth Hurdles
3 articles · Updated · CNBC · Oct 3
Summary
169 Cybercabs were authorized for commercial use in Texas by Friday, up from 45 at Tesla's Sept. 3 Austin launch, but the service's first month brought complaints about 45-minute waits, awkward pickups and door glitches.
Austin remains Tesla's only Cybercab market, and expansion now hinges on improving the no-wheel, no-pedal vehicles while answering a federal safety audit and first-responder concerns over how to move or shut them down.
Waymo's scale underscores the gap: it has 1,154 autonomous vehicles authorized in Texas, more than 4,000 in U.S. commercial service, and says it is already providing over 500,000 paid rides a week.
Tesla is pushing robotaxis to revive investor enthusiasm as auto sales stay weak; the stock is still down 18% this year despite a nearly 5% bounce after third-quarter deliveries beat expectations.