# Tesla's Cybercab Has a Steering Wheel Again

> The New York test cars come with a driver, a wheel, and no autonomous-vehicle permit.
- Title: Tesla's Cybercab Has a Steering Wheel Again · Futurism
- Summary: The New York test cars come with a driver, a wheel, and no autonomous-vehicle permit. Tesla's New York Cybercabs are a data-collection run with human…
- Keywords: tesla, robotaxi, self-driving, cybercab, waymo, science, technology, Tesla's, Steering, Wheel, Again, Futurism
- Source: Futurism — https://futurism.com/advanced-transport/many-tesla-cybercabs-have-steering-wheels
- Author: Victor Tangermann
- Published: 2026-09-12T11:01:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: tesla, robotaxi, self-driving, cybercab, waymo, science, technology
## A fleet of 45
Tesla's Robotaxi network runs just 45 cramped Cybercabs in Austin, Texas. That is the whole operation, against an analyst's call that it would add a trillion dollars of value.

> $1 trillion of value
## New York cabs have wheels
The golden Cybercabs spotted on New York streets carry the one thing the 2024 reveal promised to kill: a steering wheel, plus a human sitting behind it.
## Supervised, not autonomous
Officials confirmed the drivers are testing a supervised self-driving system, meaning a person must be ready to grab control at any moment.
## No permit, no launch
Tesla has not even started the autonomous vehicle testing permit application with New York's DMV. The wheel is there because the paperwork is not.
## They are here for data
Tesla will not say how many Cybercabs are in the city or how long the testing runs. The goal is collecting driving data, not opening a service.
## Rivals are already paid
Waymo says it topped half a million paid rides a week in the first quarter. Amazon's Zoox got the green light in late July to charge for rides in cars with no steering wheel at all.
## Key takeaway

Tesla's New York Cybercabs are a data-collection run with human drivers, not a robotaxi launch, and rivals are already charging for driverless rides.