Image: Tesla
Tesla is pushing its purpose-built autonomous vehicle into some of the harshest conditions imaginable. The company has now confirmed that its upcoming Cybercab is undergoing winter testing in Alaska, marking the sixth U.S. state where Tesla is actively validating the vehicle ahead of production.
Tesla shared the update on X, simply stating “Cybercab winter testing in Alaska,” alongside images showing a frosty validation unit navigating icy terrain. The photos show the Cybercab covered in snow and grime, a clear sign Tesla is putting the vehicle through real-world cold-weather scenarios rather than controlled environments. As the official Tesla Robotaxi account quipped alongside the images, “We’re not in Kansas anymore.”
The Cybercab is Tesla’s dedicated, two-seat autonomous vehicle designed specifically for its Robotaxi network. Unlike existing Teslas that owners will be able to optionally add to the ride-hailing fleet in the future, the Cybercab has been engineered from the ground up for autonomy and high utilization. Tesla is expected to begin volume production of the Cybercab in April, making this recent surge in testing a strong signal that the program is entering its final validation phase.
Until recently, Cybercab sightings were relatively rare. The first validation unit was spotted on public roads in California back in October, followed by appearances in Austin last month. Over the past few weeks, however, testing has expanded rapidly to several new states, including New York, Illinois, Massachusetts, and now Alaska. At least 16 Cybercab units are believed to be operating on public roads across these regions, including recent highway testing, suggesting Tesla is stress-testing the upcoming vehicle in a wide range of driving environments.
Alaska, in particular, presents some of the most challenging conditions for autonomous driving, from snow-covered roads and ice to limited daylight and unpredictable weather. Successfully navigating these scenarios would be a major milestone for Tesla’s Full Self-Driving system, which the Cybercab will rely on entirely.
Notably, when the Cybercab enters production, it’s expected to ship without a steering wheel, pedals, or even side mirrors. The vehicle will depend entirely on Tesla’s autonomous software, which recently started offering completely unsupervised rides to the public in Austin. Current test units still retain traditional driving controls, but if Tesla has its way, that won’t be the case for long.
With winter testing now underway in Alaska, Tesla appears determined to prove that its Robotaxi ambitions aren’t limited by geography, climate, or convention.
