Tesla is now taking orders from select customers for its Cybercab, as the automaker pushes to bring fully autonomous vehicles to the consumer market.
Tesla announced Friday on X that “select customers are now being invited to purchase Cybercab for personal use” at a price of $29,990, with a required monthly “Autonomy Subscription” costing an additional $299.
The post included an image of the gold-colored, two-seat vehicle, which features butterfly doors but no steering wheel or pedals. The Cybercab had previously been used only in Tesla’s robotaxi fleet in select U.S. cities.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk said in a post on X that the Cybercab would be available nationwide as the company receives regulatory approvals.
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He also said that the monthly fee is “too high,” adding that the price should be comparable to the combined cost of Tesla’s Full Self-Driving software and connectivity services for other models, or approximately $115 per month.
Lars Moravy, Tesla’s vice president of vehicle engineering, previously said the automaker plans to start selling its Cybercabs by the end of this year.
Tesla’s head of artificial intelligence said the Cybercab will ultimately be available in the same locations as the company’s robotaxi fleet, which includes Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Miami, Orlando, San Antonio and Tampa.
The announcement comes after Tesla and Musk have pledged for years to make fully autonomous vehicles available to consumers, according to The Wall Street Journal.
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Earlier this month, Musk said Tesla would end Cybertruck production at its Gigafactory Texas facility around the middle of next year as the company shifts its focus toward Cybercab production.
FOX Business previously reported that Tesla’s growing emphasis on the Cybercab comes as the automaker expands its focus on artificial intelligence and robotics, with the driverless vehicle expected to play a key role in its planned global robotaxi network.
Tesla’s self-driving technology has faced years of delays, but the company began offering paid rides in a small fleet of Cybercabs in Austin in September.
Federal auto safety regulators have also scrutinized whether Tesla properly self-certified the Cybercab’s compliance with federal motor vehicle safety standards. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened an audit in September to review the certification.
Tesla has told NHTSA it believes the Cybercab meets federal safety standards.
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The two-seater robotaxi entered production earlier this year and remains a relatively small program for Tesla, which has listed an installed annual production capacity of more than 125,000 vehicles.
FOX Business’ Eric Revell and Reuters contributed to this report.
The post Tesla makes major Cybercab announcement as driverless vehicle goes on sale appeared first on Fox Business.
