Tesla said on Nov. 13 that select customers are now being invited to buy a Cybercab for personal use. The Cybercab is a two-seat car Tesla designed to drive itself, with no steering wheel or pedals. Since Sept. 3 it has carried paying riders in Tesla's Robotaxi ride service, in limited areas of Austin, Texas. Tesla's question-and-answer page for the car still answers whether people can buy one by pointing only to an interest form for people who want a fleet or a single car for commercial use.
According to a news report, Tesla says initial availability is limited, and the order page and invitation email it posted on X set out the terms. The page lists the Cybercab at $29,990 before taxes, with a $1,000 deposit that can't be refunded and delivery estimated for December 2026 in Austin. It also lists a $299 monthly Autonomy Subscription, with the first month included, and its fine print says the subscription and regular maintenance are needed to operate the car. The email's fine print says the offer is "only available in supported service areas" and that a subscription is "required for operation."
Owning one would work differently from owning an ordinary car. According to a news report on Tesla's purchase and subscription agreements, the car may drive only in areas Tesla approves, which the company can widen or shrink, and Tesla can restrict or disable it remotely. Under those agreements, owners also can't sell the car without Tesla's written permission, and Tesla can buy it back at any time at a fair market value it sets. Tesla can change the subscription price with one month's notice, and owners pay for insurance, charging and registration. The email does not say whether "supported service areas" means the areas of Tesla's ride service, which runs in limited areas of Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Miami, Orlando, San Antonio and Tampa.
The car is also under federal review. In the U.S., carmakers certify on their own that their cars meet federal safety rules, and the federal auto safety regulator, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), can check that they do. On Sept. 3, NHTSA opened a review of the data Tesla relied on to certify the Cybercab, a car without a steering wheel or pedals, and it later gave Tesla until Oct. 30 to answer its questions under oath. A news report says Tesla answered on Oct. 30 and that NHTSA had not ruled as of Nov. 13.
Tesla has not said how many customers it is inviting, how it chose them, or how many Cybercabs it plans to sell to private owners. It is not yet known whether NHTSA's review will lead Tesla to change the car.