Tesla, Inc. (TSLA.US) officially announced! The Cybercab launch event will be held in Austin on September 3rd.

Tesla, Inc. is accelerating the market rollout of its dedicated autonomous vehicle, Cybercab, which could change the operational model of its Robotaxi service. On August 22, Tesla, Inc. (TSLA.US) announced on the X platform that it will hold a Cybercab launch event in Austin, Texas, on September 3 local time. This model, designed exclusively for fully autonomous driving, lacks a steering wheel and brake pedal, making it Tesla, Inc.'s first vehicle specifically for Robotaxi service, expected to join the Austin fleet and gradually transform the current Model Y-dominated operational model. According to previous reports by The Information, Tesla, Inc. plans to advance in two steps: first offering Cybercab rides to employees on public roads, followed by an official public launch days later. Preparation for the road is nearly complete. Before the official launch, Tesla, Inc. has completed several preparations. Since June, Cybercab has undergone public road testing in multiple locations across the U.S., including Austin; in July, the company began allowing employees to test ride on private roads in the Austin campus and collect feedback, similar to the process before last years Robotaxi rollout. At the same time, Tesla, Inc. has recently been training emergency responders in Austin on how to handle and move vehicles in emergency situations. Since Cybercab does not have a steering wheel or brake pedal, human drivers cannot take over if the autonomous driving system encounters an issue. Tesla, Inc. states that the company is equipped with remote operators who can intervene in emergencies. This also raises regulatory issues. As a reference, Amazon.com, Inc.-owned Zoox only received approval from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in July to operate commercial passenger services with similar no-steering-wheel, no-pedal vehicles, previously only allowing free test rides. It remains unclear whether Tesla, Inc. has obtained similar approval and whether Cybercab will engage in paid operations directly. How will it integrate with the Model Y fleet? Currently, Tesla, Inc. operates Robotaxi services in Austin using modified Model Y vehicles, which include additional self-cleaning cameras and a second communication unit. According to data from the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, Tesla, Inc. has registered 186 Model Y vehicles locally for Robotaxi services. In contrast, Cybercab does not require additional modifications, theoretically reducing operational complexity. However, it remains unclear whether Tesla, Inc. will gradually replace Model Y with Cybercab or operate both in parallel. Notably, Tesla, Inc. began producing Cybercab in Texas last month but subsequently stated that it will not reach mass production scale until 2026. Musk explained in the July earnings call that, since Cybercab utilizes a completely new platform, Tesla, Inc. needs to first accumulate exclusive driving data before further scaling up its deployment. This article is reprinted from "Wall Street Journal," author: Li Jia, edited by Li Cheng.