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Tesla Robotaxi Cybercab: Seats, price, special features, release date, and more

Credit: Tesla

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Tesla has officially unveiled its Robotaxi Cybercab, a long-awaited and highly-anticipated fully autonomous vehicle that the company says will revolutionize passenger travel. The vehicle was unveiled to the world on October 10 in an event held by Tesla at Warner Bros. Studios in Los Angeles.

During his presentation, CEO Elon Musk mentioned that the Cybercab will enter production before 2027 and will cost less than $30,000. Real-world tests of Unsupervised Full Self Driving (FSD), which would be used in the Cybercab, are expected to start in California and Texas sometime next year.

The following is a quick overview of the Cybercab, its features, price, and other characteristics.

Credit: Teslarati

Design and Tire Specs

As soon as the Cybercab showed up on the “We, Robot” livestream, it was immediately evident why the vehicle was named as such. The Cybercab’s front and futuristic design theme was evidently inspired by the Cybertruck, though its curves and lines are inspired by Tesla’s other vehicles, not the brutalist pickup truck.

The Cybercab’s wheels are also fitted with aero covers that extend partly into the tire itself. This gives the Cybercab a very futuristic appearance, and it should also help with the vehicle’s efficiency. Attendees of the event have also observed that the Robotaxi rides on 225/60/R21 tires at the rear.

Cabin, Cargo, and Charging

Tesla did not provide the specific dimensions of the Cybercab’s interior and cargo area, though videos and images shared by attendees of the event showed that the passenger area is quite spacious. Press photos of the Cybercab suggest that it would have some decent cargo space as well, likely exceeding the Model 3’s trunk.

The Tesla Cybercab will not feature a NACS port. Instead, the vehicle would use an inductive charging system. Tesla has been working on wireless inductive charging for some time and acquired Wiferion last year. Teaser images of an inductive charging setup have also been shared by the company in the past.

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Credit: Teslarati

Price and Potential Variants

Musk says the Tesla Cybercab will cost below $30,000, making the vehicle very competitively priced. Such a price is quite reasonable for a vehicle like the Cybercab, especially for those who wish to use the car as a fleet vehicle for businesses.

It should be noted, however, that Tesla only unveiled the driverless Cybercab for now. Previous reports have suggested that the Cybercab may have a sibling that would be equipped with a steering wheel and pedals. Such a vehicle could be a big hit in markets such as Asia and Europe.

Credit: Teslarati

Production and Delivery Date

Tesla said the Cybercab is expected to enter production in 2026, and although he admits he can be very ambitious with his timelines, he confirmed it will aim toward being manufactured “before 2027.” Musk did not mention the vehicle’s estimated delivery date as well, or where it would be produced. Considering that the Cybercab is expected to be built using the company’s unboxed process, however, it would not be surprising if the vehicle gets produced at the Giga Texas complex.

Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.

Simon is an experienced automotive reporter with a passion for electric cars and clean energy. Fascinated by the world envisioned by Elon Musk, he hopes to make it to Mars (at least as a tourist) someday. For stories or tips--or even to just say a simple hello--send a message to his email, simon@teslarati.com or his handle on X, @ResidentSponge.

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SpaceX reaches incredible milestone with Starlink program

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Credit: SpaceX

SpaceX reached an incredible milestone with its Starlink program with a launch last night, as the 3,000th satellite of the year was launched into low Earth orbit.

On Monday, SpaceX also achieved its 32nd flight with a single Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.

The mission was Starlink 6-92, and it utilized the Falcon 9 B1067 for the 32nd time this year, the most-used Falcon booster. The flight delivered SpaceX’s 3000th Starlink satellite of the year, a massive achievement.

There were 29 Starlink satellites launched and deployed into LEO during this particular mission:

SpaceX has a current goal of certifying its Falcon boosters for 40 missions apiece, according to Spaceflight Now.

The flight was the 350th orbital launch from the nearby SLC-40, and the 3,000 satellites that have been successfully launched this year continue to contribute to the company’s goal of having 12,000 satellites contributing to global internet coverage.

There are over five million users of Starlink, the latest data shows.

Following the launch and stage separation, the Falcon 9 booster completed its mission with a perfect landing on the ‘Just Read the Instructions’ droneship.

The mission was the 575th overall Falcon 9 launch, highlighting SpaceX’s operational tempo, which continues to be accelerated. The company averages two missions per week, and underscores CEO Elon Musk’s vision of a multi-planetary future, where reliable connectivity is crucial for remote work, education, and emergency response.

As Starlink expands and works toward that elusive and crucial 12,000 satellite goal, missions like 6-92 pave the way for innovations in telecommunications and enable more internet access to people across the globe.

With regulatory approvals in over 100 countries and millions of current subscribers, SpaceX continues to democratize space, proving that reusability is not just feasible, but it’s also revolutionary.

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Tesla expands new Full Self-Driving program in Europe

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Credit: Tesla Europe & Middle East/X

Tesla expanded its new Full Self-Driving program, which gives people the opportunity to experience the company’s suite, in Europe.

Tesla recently launched an opportunity for Europeans to experience Full Self-Driving, not in their personal vehicles, but through a new ride-along program that initially launched in Italy, France, and Germany back in late November.

People could experience it by booking a reservation with a local Tesla showroom, but timeslots quickly filled up, making it difficult to keep up with demand. Tesla expanded the program and offered some additional times, but it also had its sights set on getting the program out to new markets.

It finally achieved that on December 9, as it launched rides in Denmark and Switzerland, adding the fourth and fifth countries to the program.

Tesla confirmed the arrival of the program to Denmark and Switzerland on X:

The program, while a major contributor to Tesla’s butts in seats strategy, is truly another way for the company to leverage its fans in an effort to work through the regulatory hurdles it is facing in Europe.

Tesla has faced significant red tape in the region, and although it has tested the FSD suite and been able to launch this ride-along program, it is still having some tremendous issues convincing regulatory agencies to allow it to give it to customers.

CEO Elon Musk has worked with regulators, but admitted the process has been “insanely painful.”

The most recent development with FSD and its potential use in Europe dealt with the Dutch approval authority, known as the RDW.

Tesla says Europe could finally get FSD in 2026, and Dutch regulator RDW is key

Tesla said it believes some regulations are “outdated and rules-based,” which makes the suite ineligible for use in the European jurisdiction.

The RDW is working with Tesla to gain approval sometime early next year, but there are no guarantees. However, Tesla’s angle with the ride-along program seems to be that if it can push consumers to experience it and have a positive time, it should be easier for it to gain its footing across Europe with regulatory agencies.

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Tesla ramps hiring for Roadster as latest unveiling approaches

Tesla published three new positions for the Roadster this week, relating to Battery Manufacturing, General Manufacturing, and Vision Engineering.

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Tesla Roadster at Tesla Battery Day 2020 Credit: @BLKMDL3 | Twitter

Tesla is ramping up hiring for positions related to the Roadster program, the company’s ultra-fast supercar that has been teased to potentially hover by CEO Elon Musk.

The company seems to be crossing off its last handful of things before it plans to unveil the vehicle on April Fool’s Day, just about four months away.

Tesla published three new positions for the Roadster this week, relating to Battery Manufacturing, General Manufacturing, and Vision Engineering. All three are located in Northern California, with two being at the Fremont Factory and the other at the company’s Engineering HQ in Palo Alto.

Technical Program Manager, Battery Manufacturing

Located in Fremont, this role specifically caters to the design of the Roadster to factory operations. It appears this role will mostly have to do with developing and engineering the Roadster’s battery pack and establishing the production processes for it:

“You will foster collaboration across design engineering, manufacturing, quality, facilities, and production to align with company priorities. Additionally, you will understand project opportunities, challenges, and dependencies; translate scattered information into concise, complete messages; and communicate them to every team member. As the business process development lead, you will develop, maintain, and implement tools and processes to accelerate battery manufacturing execution, achieve cross-functional alignment, and deliver highly efficient systems.”

Manufacturing Engineer, Roadster

Also located in Fremont, this role also has to deal with the concept development and launch of battery manufacturing equipment. Tesla says:

“In this role, you will take large-scale manufacturing systems for new battery products and architectures from the early concept development stage through equipment launch, optimization, and handover to local operations teams.”

Manufacturing Vision Engineer, Battery Vision

This position is in Palo Alto at Tesla’s Engineering Headquarters, and requires the design and scale of advanced inspection and control systems to next-generation battery products:

“You’ll work on automation processes that directly improve battery performance, quality, and cost, collaborating with world-class engineers in a fast-paced, hands-on environment.”

Developing and deploying 2D and 3D vision and measurement systems from proof-of-concept to deployment on high-volume battery manufacturing lines is part of the job description.

Roadster Unveiling

Tesla plans to unveil the Roadster on April 1, and although it was planned for late this year, it is nice to see the company put out a definitive date.

Musk said on the Joe Rogan Experience Podcast in late October:

“Whether it’s good or bad, it will be unforgettable. My friend Peter Thiel once reflected that the future was supposed to have flying cars, but we don’t have flying cars. I think if Peter wants a flying car, he should be able to buy one…I think it has a shot at being the most memorable product unveil ever.”

Production should begin between 12 to 18 months after unveiling, so we could see it sometime in 2027.

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