Tesla opens Cybercab orders, but driving it also requires a monthly fee
Tesla has opened orders for its Cybercab, which has no steering wheel or pedals, to its first private customers. The two-seat electric car starts at around €26,000, but driving it requires a mandatory monthly fee of around €260. An even more significant restriction is its operating area: the Cybercab can currently drive autonomously only in areas covered by Tesla’s robotaxi service. The first deliveries are expected to begin in December.
A €26,000 car you cannot use without paying a subscription
Tesla has announced that selected customers can now order a Cybercab for personal use.
The car costs $29,990 in the US, or approximately €26,000 before tax. Placing an order requires a non-refundable deposit of $1,000.
The most notable condition is the mandatory Autonomy Subscription, which can cost up to $299 a month. The first month is included in the price of the car, but owners must then pay approximately €260 a month.
That amounts to a recurring cost of around €3,100 a year. Without an active subscription, the Cybercab cannot be used, as it has no steering wheel or pedals.
Tesla chief executive Elon Musk said the initial monthly fee was too high and should fall to around $115. However, this is not a confirmed price change.
Owners cannot travel everywhere
Buying a Cybercab differs from buying a conventional electric car in another important respect.
Tesla allows the vehicle to operate without a driver only in areas where the company’s Robotaxi service already operates and supports Cybercab use.
For now, that primarily means the Austin area in Texas. The car cannot travel freely across the US, and owners must take account of its software-defined operating area.
Tesla’s head of autonomous driving development, Ashok Elluswamy, confirmed that privately owned Cybercabs use the same geographical operating areas as the company’s robotaxis.
Musk promises to expand availability as regulatory approvals are obtained. For now, however, it is unclear when the Cybercab will be able to travel between states without restrictions.
Orders are currently by invitation only, and Tesla has not disclosed when anyone will be able to order the car.
Cybercab changes what it means to own a car
The two-seat Cybercab has a 21-inch central display and approximately 569 litres of luggage space. The absence of driving controls allows the cabin space to be used differently from that of a conventional car.
Tesla originally designed the vehicle primarily for its own robotaxi fleet, but has now decided to offer it to private customers as well.
This creates an unusual business model in the automotive industry. Buyers own the physical vehicle, but their ability to use it depends on the manufacturer’s software service and a monthly payment.
With a conventional electric car, owners can opt out of a paid driver assistance system and continue driving themselves. That is not an option with the Cybercab.
Nor can the first private customers immediately put their cars to work on Tesla’s paid robotaxi network. The company has indicated that it could enable this feature in the second quarter of 2027.
Complex safety requirements lie ahead in Europe
Tesla has not announced a timetable for a European launch.
The main obstacle is securing type approval for a vehicle without a steering wheel or pedals, and ensuring that its autonomous driving system complies with European safety requirements.
Meanwhile, the US road safety agency NHTSA is investigating the Cybercab’s compliance with US vehicle safety requirements. The initial start of sales is therefore not yet evidence of broad regulatory approval for the technology.
The Cybercab’s biggest innovation is not necessarily autonomous driving, but tying car ownership to a mandatory software service. Tesla may offer the vehicle for less than a conventional electric car, but the monthly fee and restricted operating area make its true value difficult to assess.
If the manufacturer can expand its autonomous driving areas and reduce running costs, the Cybercab could become an interesting alternative to a conventional car. For now, however, it is primarily suited to early adopters who live within a Tesla-supported operating area.
