Tesla launches Cybercab in Austin

AUSTIN, Texas - The future of ridesharing just got a lot more noticeable in Austin. Tesla hosted a launch event for its new Cybercab. 

As these gold autonomous vehicles hit the streets, not everyone is convinced that’s a good thing.

What is a Cybercab?

The backstory:

The Cybercab is the newest Tesla you can hail on the Robotaxi app. It is a two-seat, fully driverless vehicle designed without a steering wheel or pedals. 

The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles shows 45 Cybercab vehicles are authorized for driverless operations in Texas. These are different from the Model Y’s already being used for Robotaxis around Austin, where one tracker estimates there are a little more than 150 roaming the streets of Austin.

Are Cybercabs safe?

Dig deeper:

As these cars become more common, so do questions about their safety.

"As I understand it, Tesla uses only camera vision to collect information and make decisions on what to do. Generally, across the rest of the industry, that's not an acceptable method," Personal Injury Attorney Donald Slavik said.

Slavik represents people involved in crashes involving Tesla’s autopilot systems. He said humans have something computers don’t.

"We have hearing, we have experience, we have the ability to interpret things that we may not have seen before and make judgments rapidly. They're relying on computers and, to date, computers are not that fast to make those judgments," Slavik said.

Jeffrey Ross, an automotive expert with Bumper, looked at federal crash data from last year to see how Tesla’s autonomous systems compared to human drivers.

"The crashes are pretty low and Austin seems to vote pretty well. But again, that could have just been low volume at that point," Ross said.

To compare the number of autonomous vehicles in Austin from different companies, reports indicate around 300 for Waymo and around 160 for Tesla.

What do people think of Cybercabs?

What they're saying:

Cybercabs are starting to turn heads on Austin streets.

"I was like, what is it like, because I'm not from here, I'm from France actually, so I was wondering, is that like a special color," Marty Early said.

For visitors like Early, he said seeing one of the Cybercabs in action is part of the Austin experience, but he is not sure if he wants to get in one.

"I kind of feel like I want the human to stay human,’ Early said. ‘I would order a real taxi. I wouldn't go for it. I know it's the future, we can't really do anything about it, but I'm not a big fan."

The other side:

Others see it differently.

"They're definitely eye-catching and intriguing," Austin resident Adrian Marquez said.

Marquez said he is already familiar with autonomous vehicles, and he is all for them.

"I think it makes things convenient. I have a lot of friends that use those autonomous cars," Marquez said. "I just have a lot of friends who used them and think they're really cool."