The Elon Musk and Herbert Diess budding bromance seems to be going strong, with the Tesla CEO making a surprise appearance at the Volkswagen managers’ 2021 Leadership Summit in Alpbach, Austria.
Elon Musk’s attendance at the VW Group gathering reveals Diess and the Tesla CEO’s deep respect for each other. Musk’s appearance also shows that Diess is willing to change his mindset, something that he believes everyone at Volkswagen AG needs to go through to compete with new automakers.
“We need a new mindset at Volkswagen AG to take on the new competition!” posted Herbert Diess on LinkedIn. “After three days with 200 top managers from the world, I am confident: We have everything we need to tackle the challenges. Right strategy, right competencies, right management team. We can do it—but we have to deliver now.”
It seems like Diess invited Elon Musk to speak at the summit to learn from Tesla’s CEO and gain some perspective. According to Handelsblatt, Diess asked Musk why Tesla was so nimble compared to its rivals.
The Tesla CEO replied that it came down to his management style and how he thought of himself. Musk shared that he perceived himself as an engineer, first and foremost, one that has an eye for supply chains, logistics, and production.
Musk may have given Diess and VW managers some encouraging words at the meeting as well, assuring everyone that they were moving in the right direction.
“As a surprise guest [Elon Musk] joined us for a video talk in the evening. Happy to hear that even our strongest competitor thinks that we will succeed in the transition if we drive the transformation with full power,” Diess noted.
VW’s Electric Future
In a LinkedIn post, Diess mentioned VW Group’s headquarters in Wolfsburg and Project Trinity. The Wolfsburg plant has long been one of VW’s key facilities. Project Trinity is VW’s upcoming electric sedan project, and it will be built in the Wolfsburg plant. The company aims to start Project Trinity production at Wolfsburg by 2026.
According to VW CEO Ralf Ralf Brandstätter, Project Trinity is like the point of “crystallization” for the legacy OEM’s ACCELERATE strategy. VW Group plans to “accelerate” its transformation into a software-driven mobility provider, and Project Trinity seems to be an integral part of the company’s evolution.
VW and Tesla’s Healthy Competition
Diess noted that Project Trinity could revolutionize the company. He observed that Trinity could help Volkswagen compete with Tesla Giga Berlin in Grünheide, highlighting that Tesla Giga Berlin “will build cars with an impressive speed and productivity.”
At Giga Fest, a poster stated that Giga Berlin aims to produce one car body every 45 seconds, hinting at how many cars Giga Berlin could make in the future. The sign did not indicate whether the goal was short-term or long-term.
However, it has been reiterated repeatedly that one of Tesla’s early goals for Giga Berlin is to produce 500,000 vehicles a year. Since Giga Berlin’s goal has been made public, Volkswagen Group has a clear EV production goal to compete with Tesla in Grünheide.
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Tesla has updated its Robotaxi app so riders can pick which vehicle they want before they book. The latest in-app screens now show two options side by side: the two-seat Cybercab and the four-seat Model Y.
A screenshot circulating Thursday shows the change in practice. In Austin, a rider could choose a gold Cybercab for two people or a Model Y for four. Tesla’s updated description calls Cybercab “our first purpose-built autonomous vehicle,” designed for safety, accessibility, and comfort, and says the lineup is available only through the Robotaxi app.
Tesla has updated their Robotaxi page in the App Store. You’ll be able to select if you want a Cybercab or Model Y Robotaxi.
“Our Robotaxi vehicle lineup now includes Cybercab, our first purpose-built autonomous vehicle. Designed for safety, accessibility and comfort, Cybercab… pic.twitter.com/Jff4klilDr
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) September 3, 2026
The distinction is more than cosmetic, and it’s important to note that Robotaxi refers to the platform, while Cybercab refers to a vehicle.
Model Y Robotaxis have carried the service since it opened in Austin in mid-2025 and later expanded to Dallas, Houston, and parts of Florida. Those vehicles are converted production SUVs that still have steering wheels and pedals.
Cybercab is different. It has no driver controls, butterfly doors, a low seat height meant to work with wheelchairs, extra trunk space for assistive devices, and braille on the handles. Tesla has registered dozens of the two-seaters with Texas regulators in the days leading up to its September 3 Austin event.
Giving riders a choice lets Tesla match the vehicle to the trip. Most rides involve one or two people, which is where Cybercab is meant to be cheaper and more efficient to operate. Groups of three or four, or anyone who needs more space, can still request a Model Y.
The same app handles booking, payment, cabin settings, and, on Cybercab, features such as phone-based door opening and in-cabin voice controls.
The update does not mean every city suddenly has both cars available. Cybercab support is listed for Austin first, and the purpose-built fleet is still small compared with the existing Model Y roster. Even so, the app change marks a shift from a single-vehicle pilot to a mixed fleet.
Riders can now choose between the compact, purpose-built robotaxi and the familiar SUV that launched the service.
Tesla Cybercab sightings are broadening far and wide, well outside of downtown Austin, Texas, with autonomy in focus as the company plans to launch the all-electric, two-seater this evening in the Lone Star State.
Tesla is set to launch Cybercab to a small group of people this evening in a dedicated event in Austin, Texas. Public details on the event are relatively slim.
However, Tesla’s focus on Cybercab falls well outside of the downtown Austin area and is expanding well across the United States as things continue to move quickly with the company’s autonomous efforts in 2026. Today, various images of Cybercab fleets in interesting locations have started to circulate.
The most notable is a fleet of at least 20 Cybercabs at Miami International Airport in Florida. Spotted last night, the fleet is expansive and is indicative of a looming release of Cybercabs once regulatory boxes are checked off.
Tesla has already been operating the Robotaxi platform in Miami for several months, but this Cybercab fleet at the airport could be joining the ride-hailing platform as approvals arrive:
20+ Cybercabs spotted near Miami international airport. pic.twitter.com/ORLsw8yFhf
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) September 3, 2026
Another fleet of Cybercabs was spotted at the Devon, PA showroom just outside of Philadelphia. We have seen several Cybercab units testing around the Philadelphia Metro Area, which is interesting considering Tesla does not have any active Robotaxi geofence in Pennsylvania.
Cybercab at the Devon location in PA has multiplied over the weekend. Seeing a few more test vehicles in the lot 👀 pic.twitter.com/DhJT4P1EkU
— Billy (@billykyle) August 22, 2026
Philadelphia would be an ideal location to test ride-hailing due to its dense tourist population, large, sprawling city layout, and to compete with other ride-hailing companies that operate in the city.
Expansive fleets of Cybercabs will be popping up in and around major cities throughout the rest of the year, if we were betting on it. Tesla has made it obvious that the Cybercab rollout will be aggressive and fast-paced, but within reason. Tesla is still prioritizing safety, so these testing phases will likely go on for some period of time before more members of the public are able to snag a Cybercab for a personal chariot.
The Tesla Model Y L is arguably the most hyped trim of the all-electric crossover, other than the Performance configuration that comes with white-knuckle speed and sports car-level handling.
However, it is not all perfect. Tesla owners in China who took delivery of the Model Y L, denoted with an L to highlight its longer wheelbase, are experiencing what they are referring to as “collapsing” of the rear wheels, as suspension issues appear to be an issue with some of the builds.
🚨 Model Y L owners in China report rear suspension sag
• Six-seat long-wheelbase Y. Shanghai. On sale since August 2025
• Owners say the rear tire-to-arch gap shrinks after mileage or a full load. Some cases after about 9,000 km loaded. Others near 30,000 km
• Tesla service… pic.twitter.com/Lr6i5Tbi07— Joe Hansen (@joehansen) September 1, 2026
The gap between the wheel arch and tire has narrowed to the point that “not even a single finger” could fit, according to a report from Car News China. The failures are not tied to a specific mileage, as one owner said that after just 9,000 kilometers (5,600 miles), they noticed the suspension issue when their car was fully loaded.
Another one had the issue at 30,000 kilometers (18,640 miles) and noticed that the wheel gap shrank to two fingers, so not as drastic as the person who reported a similar issue at 9,000 km.
Tesla Model Y L is gaining momentum in China’s premium segment
Along with the visual recognition of the issue, others are saying the sagging is causing abnormal wear on the inside of the tires. Extra weight and instant torque already provide additional stress on the tires in electric vehicles during normal operation, so it is no surprise that this is another complaint.
There has been no recall issued by Tesla, and the company has not yet publicly acknowledged the issue.
Some are suggesting that owners use a “finger test” to self-diagnose whether there is an issue with the suspension. There should be four fingers between the tire and the wheel well; anything less than that starts to get dicey.
Tesla Robotaxi riders will face the best dilemma when booking a ride
Tesla Cybercab sightings broaden well outside of Austin with autonomy in focus
