Image: @SawyerMerritt
Tesla’s long-awaited Cybercab has been spotted testing on public roads for the first time. According to an image shared by longtime Tesla watcher @SawyerMerritt on X, the prototype was seen driving in Los Altos, California, just ten minutes from Tesla’s Global Engineering Headquarters in Palo Alto.
As the two-seater Cybercab is designed to be fully autonomous and operate within Tesla’s Robotaxi network, it technically doesn’t have a “driver’s seat.” However, since this is still a prototype undergoing validation, the test vehicle featured a steering wheel and pedals, with a person seated behind them on the left side of the cabin. The vehicle also had side-view mirrors, which are required by California law for all cars being driven on public roads.
This latest sighting marks the first time the Cybercab has been seen in the wild, following recent appearances at Tesla’s Fremont test track and the Giga Texas crash test facility earlier this month. CEO Elon Musk confirmed during Tesla’s Q3 2025 earnings call last week that Cybercab production is scheduled to begin in Q2 2026.
The Cybercab will be Tesla’s first purpose-built, fully autonomous vehicle, designed from the ground up for ride-sharing. Owners will eventually be able to add their own Teslas, including Cybercabs, to the company’s Robotaxi fleet, helping expand the service quickly. The futuristic two-seat EV is expected to feature upward-swinging scissor-style doors, a minimalist interior, and no steering wheel or pedals, relying entirely on Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology.
Last month, Tesla secured a patent for its “Unboxed” production process, a key part of how the Cybercab will be manufactured. Drone footage of Giga Texas in recent months has also spied equipment believed to be destined for the Cybercab’s production lines.
The vehicle even made a brief cameo in a Fourth of July promotional video Tesla released earlier this year, offering an early glimpse at what’s to come. With real-world road testing now underway, the Cybercab’s path to mass production — and the future of autonomous ride-hailing — appears to be accelerating.
