Tesla’s goal of a fully autonomous future has taken a major physical step forward at its Gigafactory Texas. Recent drone sightings confirm that production-ready versions of the Cybercab are now appearing at the site’s crash testing facility, and they are notably missing any form of human controls.
The discovery was documented by Giga Texas drone pilot Joe Tegtmeyer, whose footage captured multiple units of the two-seat electric vehicle. These models appear to be the final production design, distinct from earlier prototypes that occasionally featured temporary steering wheels for engineering purposes.
Tegtmeyer shared specific details regarding the units he observed at the facility on Friday, saying “Cybercab production versions (note stickers on tires, apparently no steering wheel & seat belts across both front seats at the Giga Texas crash testing facility today.”
He also highlighted the significance of the wheel designs seen on these specific units: “The wheels seen here appear to be identical to those used in the production area, so these may actually be the final wheel designs, just without the wheel covers installed.”
Regarding the current phase of development, Tegtmeyer noted: “These Cybercabs may be production versions being prepared for crash testing too validated the production cars & the line.” You can see a tow hook installed at the front of the Cybercabs.
The timing of these sightings aligns with Tesla’s aggressive production schedule. The company recently celebrated the completion of its first production Cybercab, with volume manufacturing slated to begin this April.
The lack of a steering wheel in these crash-test units suggests Tesla is confident in its unsupervised Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology, already being used in its Robotaxi fleet in Austin.