Tesla has begun accepting limited Cybercab orders from selected customers in areas where its driverless robotaxi service operates, moving the two-seat vehicle closer to personal use despite continuing regulatory scrutiny in the United States.
The company announced the limited release on Friday in a post on X. The Cybercab, which has no steering wheel or foot pedals, will initially be available only in supported service areas and will operate unsupervised in the same locations as Tesla’s robotaxi fleet, according to Ashok Elluswamy, the company’s head of artificial intelligence.
Tesla had previously invited fleet operators to submit interest forms for the vehicle, but had not opened a similar process for individual owners. The latest move allows selected customers to reserve the Cybercab for personal use, although access remains restricted to locations where Tesla’s autonomous service is supported.
Matt Holm, president of the Tesla Austin Owners Club, posted screenshots of an email showing that he had been invited to order the vehicle. The email listed a price of $29,990 and a required monthly subscription of $299 to operate the Cybercab.
The vehicle was first introduced as part of Tesla’s robotaxi service in Austin. Its transition towards consumer ownership raises operational and regulatory questions because the car is designed to drive without conventional controls that would allow a person to take over manually.
It remains unclear whether regulators will permit Tesla to deliver the driverless vehicles to consumers under the current arrangement. One day after the Cybercab debuted in September, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened a probe into the process and technical data Tesla used when it self-certified the vehicles as compliant with federal safety standards.
The NHTSA investigation adds a regulatory layer to Tesla’s limited release. The supplied report does not establish whether the probe will delay deliveries, restrict the vehicle’s use or result in additional requirements for the company. Tesla’s stated operating model, however, links private ownership to the same geographies and conditions under which its robotaxi fleet is currently permitted to operate.
For urban transport systems, the development represents a shift from autonomous vehicles being deployed as centrally managed fleets to selected individuals potentially operating them within defined service areas. The immediate rollout remains limited, with orders restricted to invited customers and supported locations. Tesla’s next steps will depend on the company’s delivery plans and the outcome of regulatory scrutiny over the vehicle’s safety certification and operation.
