Tag Archives: Cybercab

Tesla is testing a Cybercab with a steering wheel

In October 2024, Tesla officially unveiled its self-driving taxi, Cybercab, whose Autopilot and fully autonomous driving programs are currently not compliant and require additional upgrades. That’s why the company decided to launch the service, but with a driver behind the wheel.

Musk wants to put Cybercab into service as soon as possible and try to catch up with competitors like Waymo, the current leader in this field. At the beginning, they also had drivers in their vehicles until they reached the level of fully autonomous driving. The plan is to start operations in Texas in the next few months, but Tesla currently needs a license for autonomous vehicles in addition to a passenger transport license in order to use this type of vehicle.

In December, Tesla demonstrated driving a Cybercab via a controller. According to AutoEvolution, the Tesla Cybercab comes with a small Xbox-like controller that plugs into the car and is used for steering and pedals. They are still looking for an operator to use their Cybercab cars, but many believe that this will not happen in the next three years.

Unlike other self-driving cars that use LiDAR, Tesla relies on cameras and neural networks. This unique approach is not considered by many to be the best solution, believing that it cannot safely achieve full autonomy.

While Tesla struggles to find a solution for Cybercab, competitors are increasing their operations. For example, Waymo makes more than 200,000 rides a week in San Francisco, Phoenix and Los Angeles.

Source: Bloomberg

Tesla’s Cybercab can be operated via a controller

In early October, Tesla unveiled its self-driving car, the Cybercab, without traditional controls and without any driver control. Now, sources at the Petersen Museum, where the Cybercab is on display until next year, have revealed that the car can be controlled via a controller.

According to AutoEvolution, the Tesla Cybercab comes with a small Xbox-like controller that plugs into the car and is used for steering and pedals. A recently released video shows the car climbing a ramp while a person sits in the front seat, who is believed to be using the controller. Sources have confirmed that the controller was indeed used at the museum, but that it is also possible to control the car wirelessly from outside the vehicle.

Currently, Tesla is looking for an operator to use their Cybercab cars, but many believe that this will not happen in the next three years. The cars will be controlled remotely in order to address safety and navigation issues that robotaxi vehicles will not be able to handle on their own.

One of the problems that the American company needs to solve in the coming period is the maintenance of these vehicles, and some companies have given up on providing this service due to high costs. Also, some markets are currently unavailable for Cybercab due to strict regulations, so Texas is considered an ideal place to start.

Source: Tesla, via Instagram

Tesla Cybercab has arrived

After seeing the unsuccessful presentation of the Robotaxi Verne in June, yesterday we could witness another presentation of this type of vehicle. It’s the long-awaited Tesla Cybercab that was supposed to debut in August, but it didn’t happen because the company wanted to improve the vehicle with some new technological solutions.

The Cybercab design is inspired by the Cybertruck model. It is equipped with a full-length LED light line in the front, a light line in the back, and a butterfly door that no other Tesla car has. Also, since it is an autonomous vehicle, there are no side mirrors and no back glass either.

Inside, as expected, a minimalist design with a large central infotainment screen and two seats, without a steering wheel or pedals.

The car is Musk’s desire to impress investors and Tesla fans may help the company’s shares, which have not seen much growth this year due to weak sales of electric cars. However, some feel that Tesla is still far behind Waymo.

Although the Cybercab is equipped with Tesla’s latest autonomous driving systems, Missy Cummings, a professor at George Mason University and an expert in artificial intelligence who advises the California DMV on the topic of autonomous vehicles, believes that Tesla is not a serious candidate for real applications of autonomous driving. “I think they are at least 10 years away from implementation.”

The company stopped reporting to the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) back in 2019, nor does it update outside experts or the media on its progress. Regulators have been closely monitoring Tesla’s Autopilot and fully autonomous driving programs for some time, and the technical problems surrounding those programs suggest that it will be extremely difficult to fulfill Musk’s vision anytime soon.

Source: Tesla, Forbes

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