Tesla's Cybercab launch event underwhelms

Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) began offering rides in its two-seat Cybercab in limited areas of Austin, Texas, on Thursday, as a widely promoted "exclusive" launch event produced little in the way of public spectacle.

The electric carmaker had spent weeks building anticipation for what it called the Cybercab Launch Event, but Reuters reported that by Thursday evening Tesla had posted no live footage and neither Elon Musk nor other executives had made public remarks.

Cybercab is Tesla's first vehicle built specifically for autonomous operation, seating two people and dispensing entirely with a steering wheel or pedals.

The car relies on Tesla's AI4 computer and Full Self-Driving software for every mile, with no way for anyone inside to take manual control if the system fails.

Driverless Cybercabs appeared on public Austin streets on Wednesday, a day before the official event, with video clips on social media platform X showing the vehicles moving without anyone behind the wheel.

Musk posted "A storm of Cybercabs" on X, though public records from the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles showed just 45 Cybercabs authorised for driverless operation in the state, out of 420 vehicles registered in total.