TESLA TO PRODUCE SELF-DRIVING CAR OUT OF TEXAS IN 2026

Tesla is promising that its self-driving two-seater vehicle with no steering wheel or pedals will kick off production in Austin very soon.

During the company's shareholder meeting on Thursday, CEO Elon Musk said the so-called Cybercab is starting production in April.

"It's very much optimized for the lowest cost per mile in an autonomous mode and production is happening right here in this factory, and we'll be starting production in April next year," Musk said.

Musk is known to offer ambitious timelines for projects. Tesla's Cybertruck was initially expected to start production in 2021. Then Tesla delayed until 2022 and eventually started delivering vehicles in 2023. Meanwhile, Musk's first announcement of the Cybercab noted that he expected it to be available before 2027, but added, "I tend to be a little optimistic."

The forthcoming vehicle has come under scrutiny since it was announced. In a lawsuit filed last year, Alcon Entertainment alleged that Tesla used an AI image generator to mimic an image from Blade Runner 2049 during the Cybercab's unveiling, accusing the automaker of intentional copyright infringement and brand misappropriation.

And as the intended production timeline for the Cybercab arrives, questions have risen over the demand for a vehicle without a steering wheel. Chair of Tesla's board of directors Robyn Denholm told Bloomberg last month that the Cybercab could be adjusted to have a steering wheel and pedals.

Meanwhile, Tesla's current experiments with autonomous vehicles and driver assistance systems have drawn attention from the public and federal regulators.

In October, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration launched an investigation over complaints that Tesla vehicles with "Full Self Driving" in use failed to obey red traffic signals.

On Thursday, protesters with the group Tesla Takedown gathered near Tesla's Gigafactory to encourage shareholders to vote against a $1 trillion pay package for Musk. But protestor Stephanie Gomez also shared concerns about local robotaxi operations, saying Austinites have been "guinea pigs" to Tesla's self-driving vehicles.

"I walk, I bike, I live here, I drive here," Gomez said. "And just seeing these cars with no one in them and knowing that they're completely unsafe is crazy to me."

Despite criticism, Musk is talking up the latest self-driving exercise. Musk said the Cybercab's manufacturing line at Giga Texas will have a 10 second cycle time, assisting in the possible production of two to three million Cybercabs a year.

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2025-11-08T13:44:36Z