Tesla is offering select customers the chance to purchase a Cybercab for personal use, though the steering-wheel-free two-seater is restricted to supported service areas where the company currently operates its Robotaxi service. The vehicle is listed at $29,990 alongside a mandatory $299-a-month Autonomy Subscription, with the Robotaxi account on X announcing the new offer through screenshots of the order page and invite email.
Purchase Terms and Costs
The company stated that initial availability for the purchase offer is limited. Over a standard five-year ownership period, the monthly autonomy fee adds $17,940 to the sticker price, raising the baseline cost to approximately $47,600 before taxes, charging, and insurance. This total exceeds the cost of a new Model 3 or Model Y.
Unlike standard Tesla models where canceling Full Self-Driving allows manual driving, terminating the $299-a-month subscription renders the Cybercab completely unusable on public roads because it lacks a manual fallback. Buyers must also place a $1,000 non-refundable deposit for a December delivery window that remains unassured.
Restrictions and Regulatory Questions
Order terms prohibit owners from using the vehicle for commercial purposes such as Uber, DoorDash, or Tesla’s Robotaxi network to help offset the monthly fee. Tesla AI chief Ashok Elluswamy previously mentioned the second quarter of 2027 as a possible target for allowing customer vehicles to join the network. Additionally, Tesla retains the right to change the service price with 30 days’ warning, and does not provide partial refunds if a user cancels or gets suspended mid-month.
On X, CEO Elon Musk projected a wider rollout dependent on regulatory approval, while commenting that the $299 subscription price is too high and should be closer to $115 or the $99 Full Self-Driving rate. Musk also responded on social media to YouTuber Marques Brownlee regarding a previous wager about the vehicle’s price point.
The offer raises unanswered safety and liability questions regarding how Tesla plans to sell a vehicle lacking traditional controls like steering wheels and pedals. The company stated that the subscription covers autonomous driving, maintenance, and towing, but excludes auto insurance, and has not clarified how liability is divided during an autonomous accident or how buyers are selected.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration previously opened a formal audit into how Tesla self-certified a vehicle without a steering wheel, pedals, or side mirrors. Tesla submitted a confidential legal justification to the agency in October while customer deposits are now being accepted ahead of a federal ruling on the vehicle’s street-legal status.
