Tesla says it has begun engineering tests of the first production version of its Cybercab in Austin, following fresh posts that show the vehicle operating on public roads.
The update centers on Tesla’s claim that the company’s early-stage testing for the Cybercab has moved from initial development activity to a more formal engineering phase. According to the report, Tesla and Elon Musk both shared video clips depicting the Cybercab driving on public streets.
A key aspect of the vehicles shown in the clips is that the Cybercab appears to be designed without traditional driver controls. The car is described as having no steering wheel and no pedals. Instead of relying on a human to physically drive, the vehicle runs only on Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) system.
This control approach highlights the company’s broader push toward autonomous operation, where the role of the human onboard is framed more as supervision than direct driving. In the videos referenced in the news story, a safety-focused onboard presence is also noted: a safety monitor rides along with the vehicle during its public-road activity.
While the news text does not provide granular details about the exact testing scope (such as route lengths, duration, or whether testing occurred under specific weather or traffic conditions), it emphasizes that the work is taking place in Austin, Texas. Austin is frequently associated with Tesla’s manufacturing and development operations, and testing there suggests the company is using its existing local infrastructure and talent base to advance the Cybercab program.
Tesla’s public demonstrations of new autonomous-capable vehicles have often been accompanied by emphasis on readiness, iteration, and scaling. In this case, the description of “engineering tests” implies the company is validating system performance—likely including perception, planning, and control behavior—under real-world driving conditions rather than limiting validation to closed-course environments.
The Cybercab concept itself has been positioned by Tesla as a future transport option that operates with minimal or no driver input. The absence of a steering wheel and pedals in the described first production model reinforces that positioning and suggests Tesla’s designers aim to remove conventional mechanical interfaces that would otherwise be required for manual driving.
Running “only on Tesla’s FSD” is also an important detail in the news story. It indicates that the vehicle’s movement is governed by the FSD stack rather than by hybrid or manual fallback controls—at least as characterized in the update. That does not necessarily mean there is no safety plan for disengagements, but the story’s wording underlines that the demonstrated operation relies on Tesla’s autonomous software rather than driver actuation.
The inclusion of a safety monitor onboard further underscores that these tests are not simply consumer-facing rides. Instead, they appear to remain within the early testing framework where human oversight is used to monitor system behavior, respond to unexpected scenarios, and provide a feedback loop to the engineering team.
Both Tesla and Musk posting video is also notable. Tesla’s official sharing typically serves as an operational milestone marker, while Musk’s personal posts can amplify public attention and provide a more immediate narrative around progress. Together, they reinforce that Tesla wants the public to see the Cybercab actively moving in real traffic.
In short, the news story reports that Tesla has started engineering tests of its first production Cybercab in Austin, and that recent videos shared by Tesla and Elon Musk show the vehicle traveling on public roads. The clips reportedly feature a no-steering-wheel, no-pedals design and depict the car relying exclusively on Tesla’s Full Self-Driving system, with a safety monitor riding along during the ride.
Source: According to the provided prompt’s original reference, the report is cited as being from “Source.”
Muskonomy: JUST IN: Tesla says engineering tests of its first production Cybercab have begun in Austin Tesla and Musk both posted video of the Cybercab driving on public roads. The car has no steering wheel and no pedals. It runs only on Tesla’s FSD. A safety monitor rides along in the. #breaking
— @muskonomy May 1, 2026
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