# Inside Tesla’s Muted Cybercab Launch > Tesla finally rolled out its long-promised Cybercab, but secretive events and stark limitations show how far it lags behind rivals. - Title: Inside Tesla’s Muted Cybercab Launch · The Verge — Shortify - Summary: Tesla finally rolled out its long-promised Cybercab, but secretive events and stark limitations show how far it lags behind rivals. Tesla is betting its… - Keywords: tesla, cybercab, robotaxi, elon musk, autonomous vehicles, technology, culture, Inside, Muted, Launch, The Verge - Source: The Verge — https://theverge.com/transportation/989501/tesla-cybercab-launch-robotaxi-austin-musk - Author: Andrew J. Hawkins - Read time: 1 min - Topics: tesla, cybercab, robotaxi, elon musk, autonomous vehicles, technology, culture ## A secretive Cybercab debut Tesla officially launched its Cybercab in Austin at a closed-door event with no livestream, no press, and non-disclosure agreements that frustrated creators. > It was an unusually muted event, with no livestream, no journalists, and a very short invite list ## Strict rules and small fleets Tesla registered 45 Cybercabs in Texas for testing and content, while launching a Robotaxi website that bans passengers under 13 years old. > children under the age of 13 are currently banned from riding in the Cybercab. ## Far behind Waymo's scale Tesla operates just 256 unsupervised autonomous vehicles across six cities, compared to Alphabet’s Waymo running around 4,000 vehicles in 14 cities. > By comparison, Alphabet’s Waymo is currently operating approximately 4,000 vehicles across 14 cities. ## Missing prices and release dates Two years after Elon Musk teased a $30,000 price tag for the Cybercab, Tesla has offered no official release date or purchasing timeline. > the company still has yet say when the Cybercab would go on sale. ## Ditching steering wheels and lidar The two-seater features gullwing doors and eight cameras, completely omitting steering wheels, pedals, radar, and lidar sensors used by rivals. > The vehicle lacks traditional controls, like steering wheel, pedals, and mirrors — as well as sensors commonly found on other robotaxis, like radar and lidar. ## Tesla's lightest design yet Built for maximum efficiency, the Cybercab weighs 3,113 pounds, about 700 pounds lighter than a Model 3, and features a compact 48kWh battery pack. > The Cybercab is also the lightest, most range-efficient vehicle Tesla has ever produced. ## Years of missed deadlines Musk previously claimed 50 percent of the US population would have access to Tesla robotaxis by late 2025, but service remains limited to Texas and Florida. > He claimed that 50 percent of the US population would have access to Tesla’s robotaxis by the end of 2025. ## Broken promises and lawsuits Tesla faces legal action after retracting a 2016 claim that every vehicle produced had the hardware required for full autonomy. > Tesla is currently facing multiple lawsuits from customers and regulators claiming it has misled the public about its self-driving capabilities. ## Unsupervised driving remains delayed Tesla's Full Self-Driving software remains a supervised Level 2 system, with unsupervised capability delayed until late 2026 at the earliest. > During Tesla’s first quarter earnings call this year, Musk promised that 'unsupervised' FSD would be available to customer vehicles by the end of 2026 ## A trillion-dollar AI gamble As EV sales slow down, investors are relying on robotaxis and AI capabilities to justify Tesla’s $1.18 trillion market valuation. > Analysts view robotaxis as one of the primary justifications for Tesla’s $1.18 trillion valuation, and the key that will unlock the company’s future. ## Key takeaway Tesla is betting its trillion-dollar valuation on camera-only robotaxis, despite trailing competitors like Waymo in both fleet size and real-world deployment.