Tesla has told staff it is preparing to launch the Cybercab to the public in Austin, Texas, as soon as this month. The driverless, two-seat vehicle would join Tesla's Robotaxi service days after its debut, and shares of Uber and Lyft already slipped on the report.
Tesla has told staff it is preparing to launch the Cybercab to the public in Austin, Texas, as soon as this month, The Information reported Monday. The two-seat vehicle is Tesla's first built without a steering wheel or brake pedal, designed to operate without a driver for the Robotaxi service.
Preparations underway in Austin
The company has taken several steps in recent weeks, including test driving the Cybercab, giving employees rides on private roads, and training local first responders ahead of the public rollout.
Tesla has tested Cybercabs on public roads across the country, including in Austin, since June. In July, it began letting employees ride the vehicle on private roads around its Austin campus while collecting their feedback — the same approach it used before launching its first Robotaxi hub in Austin last year.
A staged rollout into Robotaxi
Tesla plans to first offer Cybercab rides to employees on public roads, then add the vehicles to its Robotaxi service in Austin a few days later, according to the report. The Cybercab was built specifically for Robotaxi, the autonomous ride-hailing service Chief Executive Elon Musk has promoted as central to Tesla's future revenue and profits.
The end of August is currently Tesla's internal target for the public launch, though the timeline could still change as final preparations continue.
Uber and Lyft shares dip on the report
The news weighed on Tesla's ride-hailing rivals. Uber shares fell about 1.1% and Lyft dropped 1.7% during Monday's late trading session, following the report of Tesla's planned August launch.
Sources: Investing.com, Investing.com
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