Tesla (TSLA) says it is trying to get Cybercabs to customers by the end of this year. My call is that no Cybercab without a steering wheel will be delivered to a private US buyer by December 31, 2026, mainly because of how Tesla itself describes the car.
Lars Moravy, Tesla's vice president of engineering, said on the third-quarter call: "We're trying to get Cybercabs to customers by the end of this year". It's a goal with no details on timing, price, or how to order. Moravy also said the cars coming off the Texas line are for now going to Tesla's own robotaxi fleet. Elon Musk then described the Cybercab as "primarily going to be something that is offered as like transport as a service," while the cars people would want to own are Tesla's other models.
Those remarks suggest the first customers will be businesses, if there are any, not you or your neighbor. Tesla's own boss has told investors the Cybercab is a service product, and Tesla isn't building it for individual buyers.
Washington adds a complication, though a smaller one. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened an audit in September of how Tesla certified, on its own authority, that a vehicle without traditional driver controls meets federal safety standards, and said it will review the technical data and processes Tesla relied on. I'm not resting my call on that audit.
If I'm wrong, it's probably because Tesla has the factory. Management said the Texas plant has installed capacity above 125,000 Cybercabs a year, so it can build far more cars than it needs for its own fleet. A company with that much room and a stated goal might push a few units out the door before New Year's.
But having capacity to make cars doesn't mean Tesla can sell them. Tesla could deliver a Cybercab to a fleet customer, or call a lease to a business a delivery, and claim it met its word. I'm not counting that. My bet is specifically about a private US buyer taking a car with no steering wheel.
Tesla's timeline record argues for patience too. Musk's robotaxi dates have slipped before, and a company scaling something this new deserves some room. Tesla says Dallas is next for its robotaxi service, with Austin already running, and that is real progress. Evaluate the service based on actual rides, not a showroom date.
The practical point is simple. Don't delay a car purchase waiting for a Cybercab. Buy a car that fits your budget. Plan to use Tesla's robotaxi service, not to own the car. Nothing Tesla said on the call offered an ordering page, a price or a delivery slot.
So here is the dated call. Tesla's stated goal is customers by the end of this year, and on January 5, 2027, I expect there will still be no record of a Cybercab without a steering wheel delivered to a private US buyer. If Tesla proves me wrong, I'll say so here.
That's wattsup, and here's wattsnext.
Sources
- 1.Tesla (TSLA) Q3 2026 Earnings Call Transcript · The Motley Fool (transcript of Tesla's call)
- 2.NHTSA Investigates Tesla Cybercab Compliance · NHTSA
Reported by the WattsUpNext desk from the sources linked below. Spot an error? Tell us at corrections@wattsupnext.com.
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