The Verge's transportation reporter has taken a first ride in Tesla's Cybercab, a purpose-built two-seater robotaxi with no steering wheel or pedals, now offering paid trips in a roughly 288-square-mile geofenced area of Austin, Texas. The launch matters because it represents Tesla's boldest bet yet on autonomous driving: rather than retrofitting existing models like the Model Y used in its earlier robotaxi service, the Cybercab is designed from the ground up as a driverless vehicle, testing whether Tesla can deliver on years of Elon Musk's promises about full autonomy.

The experience was mixed: rides felt "reassuringly boring" when working well but were undermined by long wait times (up to an hour for a two-mile, $15 journey), reports of passengers being struck by fast-opening butterfly doors, and awkward drop-off spots that blocked traffic. The self-driving software itself was described as hesitant rather than confident, with nervous braking and indecisive lane changes. The Texas DMV lists 45 Cybercabs currently registered in the state, and doors are opened remotely via a mobile app rather than manually.