Elon Musk Launches Steering Wheel Free Cybercab Taxi Service in Austin
2 sources across 2 countries · Argentina · United States
Who reported this
- La Nacion
- Associated Press
What the colours mean
- Left
- Centre-left
- Centre
- Centre-right
- Right
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Elon Musk has deployed dozens of Cybercabs, autonomous taxis without steering wheels or pedals, on the streets of Austin, Texas. The launch is part of a bet that passengers will overcome their fear of not having control over the vehicle. Tesla has already expanded its autonomous taxi service to other cities in Texas and Florida, though previous versions of those vehicles included steering wheels and brake pedals. According to RobotaxiTracker, Tesla has over 200 robotaxis operating without safety drivers, while competitor Waymo has more than 4,000 vehicles across 14 cities.
Tesla's system relies solely on cameras to navigate and avoid pedestrians, whereas rivals like Waymo and Amazon's Zoox use a combination of cameras, radar, and lidar technology. Public skepticism remains high, with a Pew Research Center survey from February indicating that seven out of ten U.S. adults feel little or no comfort traveling in a driverless car. A 2025 Gallup poll also found that skepticism regarding the safety of autonomous vehicles has increased since 2018.
Tesla's stock rose more than 5 percent following the announcement, coming after a period of declining electric vehicle sales and a loss of its title as the world's largest EV manufacturer to China's BYD. The company's recent financial struggles have coincided with consumer boycotts and protests linked to Musk's political activities and support for far right politicians.
How each side framed it
- Centre
- The center lean framing focuses on the psychological bet Musk is making regarding passenger fear and control.
- Centre-right
- The center right lean framing emphasizes the technical lack of emergency controls and provides extensive context on Tesla's financial decline and competition with Waymo.
Sources
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