# Robotaxi Report #8: 'Look Ma, No Hands'

> Tesla's Cybercab opens in Austin with no steering wheel, pedals or rare earths.
- Title: Robotaxi Report #8: 'Look Ma, No Hands' · EVwire | Shortify
- Summary: Tesla's Cybercab opens in Austin with no steering wheel, pedals or rare earths. Tesla launched public Cybercab robotaxis in Austin with 126 vehicles…
- Keywords: tesla, cybercab, nhtsa, robotaxi, autonomous vehicles, austin, evwire, waymo, zoox, verne, lucid, bolt
- Source: EVwire — https://evwire.com/p/robotaxi-newsletter-report-8-2694
- Author: Jaan Juurikas
- Published: 2026-09-30T20:47:40.838+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: tesla, cybercab, nhtsa, robotaxi, autonomous vehicles, austin, evwire, waymo, zoox, verne, lucid, bolt
## Robotaxi Report #8: 'Look Ma, No Hands'
Jaan Juurikas launches weekly Robotaxi Report newsletter with dedicated daily articles page for autonomous vehicle news.
## Cybercab opens in Austin
Tesla launched public Cybercab robotaxis in Austin on September 4 with 126 vehicles registered for robotaxi use.
## Cybercab specs
Cybercab has no steering wheel, pedals, or rare earths in motor; 18% smaller and 25% lighter than other EV drive units.
## NHTSA audit
NHTSA opened audit file AQ26002 on Cybercab on September 3, requiring Tesla to answer under oath by September 30.
## Zoox Las Vegas
Zoox started charging for rides in Las Vegas on August 10 with 65 pods under Nevada Transportation Authority cap.
## Waymo expands
Waymo opened service in Denver, San Diego, Tampa and Las Vegas to public on September 14 with 1133 vehicles registered.
## Verne Zagreb
Uber and Verne started carrying invited passengers in Zagreb on September 10 with fully driverless robotaxis.
## London robotaxi
Wayve and Uber started carrying Londoners in robotaxis on September 3 with Ford Mustang Mach-E electric cars.
## Lucid and Bolt
Lucid and Bolt team up to deploy 25,000 autonomous Lucid vehicles across multiple European cities by 2035.
## Cybercab safety
Cybercab uses electrical brakes with no brake fluid, and has motorized seat belts that tighten during hard braking.
## Cybercab production
Tesla built first Cybercab with cathode material made at Giga Texas, targeting 125,000 vehicles per year.
## Cybercab features
Cybercab has 5 types of airbags, 8 exterior cameras, and a Starlink dish for internet connectivity.
## NHTSA penalties
Tesla could face up to $139,356,994 in fines if it fails to answer NHTSA's requests by September 30.
## Zoox airport service
Zoox opened service at Harry Reid International Airport with drop-off and pickup near baggage claim.
## Waymo safety data
Waymo showed 82% reduction in injury crashes compared to human drivers over 271.3 million rider-only miles.
## Cybercab registration
126 Cybercabs registered in Texas for robotaxi use, with 420 Model Ys for comparison.
## Key takeaway

Tesla launched public Cybercab robotaxis in Austin with 126 vehicles registered, zero rare earths in motors, and NHTSA opened an audit file on the vehicle.