Even More Questions Swirl Around Tesla Cybercab Event

The industry-leading EV maker Tesla unveiled its new Cybercab autonomous, steering wheel-less robotaxi in Austin, Texas on September 3 to the tune of much media buzz. However, much of the buzz occurred in the lead-up to the event. The event itself mainly solicited the sound of heads being scratched. Among the questions being asked: How many, if any, fleet managers will stock their robotaxi fleets with Cybercabs? Pssst, Hey Fella, Wanna Buy A Cybercab? Tesla is indeed soliciting outside interest in the Cybercab from other robotaxi fleets. A contact form on the company's website leads with the headline, 'Help Us Build Our Robotaxi Network,' offering a list of four options: Cybercab fleet vehicle purchasing Mobility hubs and infrastructure Event collaboration Other As far as sales of owner-operated Cybercabs goes, that is clearly off the table, unless the owner has access to DC fast charging stations. The Cybercab is not compatible with Level 2 home charging, let alone Level 1. That pretty much eliminates the gig-economy model for individual ownership of a Cybercab. It also removes the Cybercab from potential opportunities within EV fleets that accommodate home EV charging. Some industry observers are also asking the obvious question: If the Cybercab is such a surefire profit-maker, why doesn't Tesla keep the flashy two-seater all for its own robotaxi business? Why, indeed. Perhaps Tesla CEO Elon Musk aims to ditch the robotaxi business to concentrate on his other ventures, eventually. In the meantime, recent history does not indicate that a hookup with Tesla is a surefire way to rake in the big bucks. There's the Hertz example, of course. Back in October 2021 the leading US rental car company famously pledged to buy 100,000 Tesla EVs only to fall far short of its goal, as neither the company, nor its clients, nor the public EV charging network were prepared for the switch to zero emission mobility. Musk himself did not help matters much. 'By early this year, it was clear the massive bet on EVs was a catastrophe. Musk had slashed Tesla prices by as much as 30%, sending the value of the electric cars in the Hertz fleet plummeting,' CleanTechnica observed in April of 2024. The lesson of the Dutch auto leasing startup Mistergreen is also instructive. In December of 2025 the news organization Fleets Europe reported that MisterGreen's strategy of leasing only Tesla EVs was a resounding flop, leading the company to sell off its assets to other firms. Among other issues, Mistergreen blamed 'significant losses, largely caused by write-downs on its Tesla fleet,' Fleets Europe noted, referring to Tesla's decision to offer discounts to fleet owners in 2024. What About The First Responders? Another issue with the Cybercab launch popped up on September 5, when NBC News reporter David Ingram flagged Tesla's safety instructions for first responders. 'Tesla's emergency guidance tells first responders the robotaxi 'can be quickly pushed' to clear a lane but warns that doing it incorrectly risks electric shock and overheating the motor,' Ingram summarized. You can say that again. Tesla provides detailed first responder guidance for handling a Cybercab in the event of an emergency, including this observation: After a safety critical event, low voltage power may not be available and the touchscreen may not be operational. Trying to support low voltage power on a vehicle that has been in a collision could lead to a possible electrical fire. Tesla does not recommend attempting to reconnect low voltage power after an accident. 'LACK OF MOVEMENT OR VISUAL INDICATION OF AUTONOMOUS MODE DOES NOT MEAN AUTONOMOUS MODE IS OFF,' Tesla further warns in all caps. 'UNTIL THE VEHICLE IS FULLY SHUT OFF AND A TESLA REPRESENTATIVE GIVES THE ALL CLEAR, APPROACH CAUTIOUSLY.' 'Warning: Wait for a Tesla representative to confirm that Autonomous Mode has been disabled before attempting significant interaction with the vehicle,' Tesla also advises. If you caught that thing about a Tesla representative, that raises further questions. The first responder guide emphasizes the need to contact 'Tesla Robotaxi First Responder Support' in some situations, but it also indicates that such support may not necessarily be forthcoming. 'If you cannot reach Tesla Robotaxi First Responder Support, cage the vehicle first before attempting to interact directly with the vehicle,' Tesla advises on Page 13. The NHTSA Steps In So, will first responders be able to contact a Tesla representative — human or AI, whichever — in the event they need an assist with a Cybercab incident? Who knows! In the meantime, on September 4 the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an Audit Query regarding the Cybercab event in Austin. Specifically, NHTSA will investigate whether or not the Cybercab 'meets all applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards,' as certified by Tesla. While NHTSA is in the process of forming new rules in eight areas including brake pedals, windshield wipers, lighting, and rearview mirrors, the agency also took the opportunity to remind everyone that 'in the process' means in the process, meaning that current standards still apply. Birds Of A Feather Will Flock Together Where the Cybercab is concerned, the application of rules may be somewhat loosey-goosey, but that remains to be seen. In the meantime, investors greeted the Cybercab event with a less than enthusiastic response, driving Tesla stock down at the close of business last week. Additionally, whatever goodwill Musk may (or may not) have expected from the Austin event was soon drowned out by the course of international events. In recent years Musk has acquired a reputation for promoting Nazi-adjacent causes in Europe as well as here in the US, and on Sunday, September 6 he scored a zinger in Germany. As reported by The Hill among other news organizations, on September 6, Musk posted a 'Gut gemacht' ('good job' in German) message on his X social media platform, congratulating the far-right Alternative for Germany party for its landslide victory in the state of Saxony-Anhalt. The state is known as a stronghold of Russian sympathizers and supporters of AfD. 'Thank you, @elonmusk, for your support and for your clear and highly important perspective on the political developments of our time — including here in Germany,' the winning AfD candidate Ulrich Siegmund responded. Although AfD did not win enough votes to claim an outright majority, the strong showing in Saxony-Anhalt set off alarm bells in Germany and elsewhere around Europe. 'Rival parties have vowed that they would not form a coalition government with the AfD, whose leaders have used Nazi slogans and minimized the Holocaust,' The New York Times reported on September 7, adding that 'the AfD is designated as a 'suspected' extremist group by German intelligence, partly because the group portrays Germans of immigrant backgrounds as second-class citizens.' Birds of a feather… Image: Questions continue to swirl around the limited launch of the Tesla Cybercab robotaxi in Austin, Texas on September 3 (cropped, courtesy of Tesla Motors).