Tesla has just secured a new U.S. patent tied to its ambitious “Unboxed” manufacturing process, which will be partly used to build the upcoming Cybercab. As noted by Seoul-based patent researcher and Tesla fan @seti_park, the “True Unboxed Process 2.0” patent (US 12,420,879 B1) was officially granted and published this week, 16 months after its filing.
The patent describes a robotic assembly station that uses vacuum clamps to hold car parts in place. Glue is then applied to either the part or the vehicle frame, with the robot pressing everything together based on a fixed reference point. The adhesive fills small gaps and begins curing while workers continue assembling other sections, making the process both faster and more consistent. According to Tesla, this reduces reliance on manual labor, increases accuracy, and ultimately speeds up vehicle production.
For those unfamiliar, the Cybercab is Tesla’s upcoming two-seat, all-electric autonomous vehicle designed specifically for its Robotaxi network. Owners will eventually be able to add their own Cybercabs and other Tesla vehicles to the ride-hailing fleet, helping to scale the service quickly. The futuristic vehicle is expected to feature upward-swinging scissor-style doors, minimalist styling, and a purpose-built interior optimized for shared use.
Hints of the Cybercab have surfaced multiple times in recent months. The vehicle made a brief cameo in a Tesla promotional video for the Fourth of July, while gigacasting parts believed to be destined for the car were spotted at Gigafactory Texas earlier this year. Tesla has also been testing several prototypes around its Austin factory, including one with a steering wheel — though the final version is expected to be fully autonomous.
A production timeline for the Cybercab remains uncertain, but Tesla winning this patent signals steady progress toward its goal of deploying a high-volume, low-cost Robotaxi fleet. With the Unboxed Process at the core of its manufacturing strategy, Tesla appears to be laying the groundwork for one of its most disruptive vehicles yet.
