Tesla Cybercab Highlights Elon Musk’s Glimpse into the Future

An ebullient Elon Musk took to the stage Thursday night not just to show off the long-awaited Cybercab, Tesla’s CEO offered a peek at what his idea of what the future should be, and that kicks off sometime near the end of 2026 when the first Cybercabs go into production.

Musk kicked off the event at Warner Bros Studios by hopping into a waiting Cybercab, which then ferried him along sci-fi movie make-believe streets to a stage where he was greeted by least hundreds of enthusiastic supporters.

Tesla’s CEO bounded on to a stage outlining the plans for the Cybercab, which will be a fully autonomous vehicle when completed. Production of the vehicle, which is slated to cost $30,000, will begin at the end of 2026 — or early 2027, Musk offering a nod to his overly optimistic past predictions.

“And we’ll make this this in big, very high volume,” he added.

The Cybercab, as Musk dubbed it, has no steering wheel or foot pedals. He did not suggest if you could order a version with those controls. It also looks unlike any other Tesla product with two powered butterfly-style doors and seating for at least four. It’s low-slung and looks more like a sports sedan than a taxi cab.

The future is … soon

Musk very quickly tied the Cybercab to his vision of the future, much like he did with the Cybertruck, but then said he wanted the self-driving car to represent a future that was much different than a “bleak apocalypse,” like the movie Blade Runner, a Musk favorite.

“We want to have a fun, exciting future that if you could look in a crystal ball and see the future, you’d be like, ‘Yes, I wish I could be there,’” he said.

While the Cybercab’s exterior featured an exterior color similar to that of the Cybertruck, it’s rounded fenders and sleek design suggested something designed for efficiency and style. The interior devoid of controls focuses on a large horizontal touchscreen and conventional-looking seats.

Musk didn’t bring just one Cybercab to the event, he brought 20, which offered rides to all in attendance. Those vehicles were joined by 50 Model Y crossovers also completely self-driving technology.

He noted they will begin testing the vehicles in California and Texas next year.

Those are likely the first two states, he continued, where they will be available for the public to purchase and use.

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Not just one vehicle

Musk rarely shows just one thing at an event, and the Cybercab show was no different as he also unveiled a 20-passenger self-driving van he called the robovan. The exterior styling had an art deco feel, looking like a small locomotive engine. Musk said that was the final design, although he didn’t offer any insight into its potential plans, other than it was coming.

“You can configure it for goods, transport to the city, or transport of up to 20 people at a time,” he explained. “So … the robovan is what’s gonna solve (congestion problems) for high density (areas).”

He later predicted that self-driving vehicles will be 10 times safer than human-driven vehicles and become so popular in many areas that they’ll eliminate the need for many parking lots, which he suggested be converted to green spaces.

No production or testing plans were revealed for the robovan; however, Musk did revealed the latest generation of the company’s Optimus humanoid robots. Not only did one escort Musk to his cab, but scores of them performed complex dance routines as music blared.

They also walked around interacting with those in attendance and even served drinks to the crowd. Musk noted that they’ll handle a variety of tasks and be affordable in the near future. Eventually sell for $20,000 to $30,000 a piece. “I think this will be the biggest product ever, of any kind,” he said.