Texas authorized Tesla to operate driverless vehicles commercially under a new self-certification law that took effect May 28, 2026, with the company certifying its robotaxi software as Level 4. The same day, Cybercab units began autonomously driving out of Gigafactory Texas after mass production started in April, advancing the company's ride-hailing plans.
On the same day, Tesla CEO Elon Musk shared a video of Cybercab units autonomously driving off the property at Gigafactory Texas.
Tesla's autonomous dreams are starting to take serious shape.
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Tesla revealed the production Cybercab at an Austin event on September 4, 2026, showcasing its unboxed manufacturing process and new hardware components. The two-seater autonomous vehicle uses a pure-vision system with a drag coefficient under 0.20 and omits any immediate plans for individual customer sales.
Tesla began public rides in its steering-wheel-free Cybercab in Austin this evening while NHTSA opened an Audit Query into the company’s determination that the vehicle meets existing federal safety standards. The review targets Tesla’s self-certification at a moment when the agency is revising eight rules for driverless cars and other robotaxi developers have secured exemptions.
Tesla has started engineering tests of its production Cybercab on public roads in Austin, Texas, for the first time (first reported around June 30). The step advances the company's plan for a driverless ride-hailing service centered on a vehicle without steering wheel or pedals.
Tesla marked the start of high-volume Semi production at its new Sparks, Nevada factory on September 24. The plant, which Tesla says covers 1.8 million square feet, is built to scale to 50,000 trucks annually.
Tesla reportedly conducted intensive supplier audits across China's Yangtze River Delta last week as it prepares Optimus production. The visits to potential suppliers Tuopu Group, Sanhua Holding Group, and Joyson Electronics in Ningbo, Hangzhou, and Shanghai leverage existing automotive partners rather than confirming a mass-production acceleration.
