Cybercab gets stuck in a hotel lot, drops rider back where he started
A Tesla Cybercab in Austin couldn't spot an open lane after construction crews blocked another, driving back and forth four times before dropping its passenger back at the hotel he started from instead of his destination, Futurism reported — another navigation misfire as NHTSA's special order keeps probing Cybercab's self-certification.
A passenger hoping for a stylish Cybercab exit from his hotel instead watched the car struggle to even leave the parking lot, according to his account relayed by Futurism.
Construction crews had blocked off one lane, and the Cybercab appears to have failed to recognize the other lane that remained open. The car drove back and forth over the same stretch four times before announcing it had arrived — only to have dropped the passenger at the exact spot where he started.
The incident echoes other navigation complaints reported since Tesla's Sept. 3 commercial launch in Austin, including a case where a 10-minute trip turned into a 70-minute detour. The timing is notable: NHTSA is currently using a special order to press Tesla on how it self-certified Cybercab's compliance with federal safety standards, keeping reliability concerns in the spotlight.
The report is based solely on the passenger's own account as relayed by Futurism, with no cross-confirmation from other outlets and no official comment yet from Tesla. No injuries or collision were involved — this was a low-speed parking-lot malfunction.
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