Cybercab's first month in Austin — fleet grows 45→169, scaling is the hard part
CNBC called the Cybercab's first month of commercial service in Austin a rocky start — Texas-authorized vehicles grew from 45 at launch to 169, but riders reported long waits and misplaced drop-offs, and a Slingshot Strategies survey found 50% of US respondents uncomfortable riding a robotaxi with no wheel or pedals. The pace of expansion is the robotaxi story's next test.
CNBC published a one-month report card on the Cybercab's commercial service in Austin on October 3. Since paid rides began in September, Tesla's Texas-authorized fleet has grown from 45 vehicles at launch to 169 — rapid growth, but still small next to competitors.
The rider experience has been mixed, with some paying passengers reporting long wait times and drop-offs away from their destination. In Slingshot Strategies' September EV intelligence survey, 50% of US respondents said they would not feel comfortable riding a robotaxi without a steering wheel or pedals, and 70% of those aware of the NHTSA investigation wanted rides paused.
CNBC's conclusion: now comes the hard part. Whether Tesla can scale fleet size, service quality and regulatory trust at the same time is the next gate for the robotaxi valuation story.
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