Tesla invites select customers to buy a Cybercab for personal use, with strict conditions attached
Tesla has invited selected customers to order its driverless Cybercab for personal use at $29,990, but buyers must also pay a mandatory $299-a-month autonomy subscription. Commercial use is banned, and the vehicle's compliance with US safety rules remains unclear.
Tesla, the US electric-car maker led by CEO Elon Musk, has invited select customers to order its two-seat, steering-wheel-free Cybercab robotaxi for personal use. The car is priced at $29,990, but it comes with a mandatory $299-a-month "Autonomy Subscription." The offer is limited to supported service areas, meaning the cities where Tesla already runs its Robotaxi ride-hailing service. Tesla's Robotaxi account on X announced the offer.
Price and subscription
The invitation email states that initial availability is limited. Buyers must put down a $1,000 non-refundable deposit to join the queue for a December delivery window, which is not guaranteed. Over a five-year ownership period, the subscription adds $17,940, bringing the baseline cost to roughly $47,600 before taxes, charging and insurance. The Verge notes that this is more than a new Model 3 or Model Y.
Unlike a standard Tesla, where cancelling the Full Self-Driving (FSD) subscription simply returns the car to manual driving, a Cybercab without its subscription cannot be used on public roads because it has no manual controls. Tesla currently charges $99 a month for FSD. Musk himself wrote on X that the $299 fee is too high and should be closer to $115.
Commercial use prohibited
When Musk unveiled the Cybercab in 2024, he said owners would be able to add their vehicles to Tesla's Robotaxi network and earn income. The order terms now prohibit commercial use. Tesla AI chief Ashok Elluswamy has suggested the second quarter of 2027 as a possible target for allowing customer cars onto the network.
Tesla began offering Cybercab rides within its Robotaxi service in Austin in September. According to the crowd-sourced Robotaxi Tracker, 278 Cybercabs are in operation, about 40 percent of the fleet.
Unanswered questions
The subscription covers autonomous driving, maintenance and towing, but excludes auto insurance. Tesla has not explained how insurers will underwrite a car with no human driver or how liability would be split after an accident. It also has not said how invited buyers are chosen. The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has already opened a formal audit into how Tesla self-certified a vehicle without a steering wheel, pedals or side mirrors. Tesla submitted its response in October, and the ruling is still pending.
