Tesla Cybercabs launch in Austin AUSTIN, Texas — Tesla has deployed its new gold-colored Cybercabs in Austin, now picking up passengers through the company's Robotaxi app. Tesla's Model Y robotaxis are already driving passengers around the city, but the Cybercabs are Elon Musk's latest debut of upgraded autonomous vehicle (AV) technology. Unlike the Model Y robotaxis, Cybercabs have no steering wheel or pedals. There is also no back seat or back windshield; the vehicles seat just two passengers. How safe are Tesla's Cybercabs? Dr. Kara Kockelman, a transportation engineering professor at UT Austin, says there is not much of a safety difference between Tesla's robotaxis and Cybercabs. "They're both amazing vehicles, incredible safety design, have sustained very well during extreme crashes that we've seen," she said. When asked if she'll be looking to catch a ride in a Cybercab, Kockelman responded with a resolute "absolutely." However, she says passengers might still opt to ride in a Waymo if they are looking for the most comprehensive safety features. "Waymo would be the safest because of the redundant sensors and software it has on board," she said. "It has the light detection, and it has more cameras than the Teslas do. So it's a more expensive vehicle and maybe a more complex vehicle, but it's able to make better decisions under all sorts of lighting conditions and weather conditions." She says the lack of a steering wheel and pedals means that passengers must rely on safety systems built into the Cybercab software in cases of emergency. "Safety regulation doesn't really change much, except that the EMS systems still need to be able to get these vehicles out of the way if they malfunction, especially in the event of trying to access emergencies or help people flee certain sites," she said. Autonomous vehicles,