Tesla set to hold Cybercab event in Austin, Texas

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Tesla ‌is set to ​hold ​an event for its purpose-built robotaxi Cybercab in Austin, Texas, on Thursday, amid much fanfare, as well as questions about regulatory hurdles and safety of ‌the technology.

Here are some details:

• The Cybercab is a two-seater with butterfly ⁠doors and no steering wheel or pedals and is Tesla's first vehicle designed purely for autonomy. Some ‌test versions on U.S. streets ‌have been spotted with steering wheels.

• The vehicle was unveiled about two years ago at Warner Bros studio and is expected to be added to Tesla's nascent ​robotaxi fleet. CEO Elon Musk said it would eventually be available for $30,000. He has described self-driving technology as one of the keys to Tesla's future business.

• Tesla offered ⁠riders of its current robotaxi fleet based on its Model Y a chance to join a "Cybercab Launch Event", but ​it has given no details about what kind of launch is planned. Tesla has been marketing the event as "Exclusive Access: Cybercab" in ​posts on X and has sent out invites ‌to select guests, according to some user posts.

• Tesla has not announced a time for the event. Tesla usually livestreams major events, ⁠but it has not officially confirmed whether it will do so on Thursday.

• Tesla started producing some Cybercabs in April and has been testing the vehicle on public roads.

• The Information reported ⁠last month that Tesla told staff it plans to begin the rollout by offering rides to ​its employees on public roads and then incorporate Cybercabs into its robotaxi service in Austin a few days later.

• Tesla has not said whether it has received regulatory approval or if it ‌has determined it complies with federal safety norms to operate the service commercially.

• Tesla's so-called Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology that requires constant human ‌supervision has faced multiple federal investigations and lawsuits following collisions and traffic violations. A version ⁠of FSD that does not require ‌supervision runs Cybercabs.

• Tesla has ​said FSD is already up to 10 times safer than human drivers.

(Reporting by Abhirup Roy in San Francisco; Editing by Peter Henderson and ‌Jamie Freed)

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