Tesla Confirms Cybercab Has No Production Cap as Ramp Begins

Tesla says the control-free Cybercab has entered mass production at Gigafactory Texas after months of assembling modified test mules. In a promotional video shared on X, the company showed steering wheel-less vehicles coming off the line and autonomously driving out of the plant onto public roads.

Elon Musk added, "Cybercab has started production," marking a key milestone. Just days earlier, footage from Giga Texas revealed over a dozen newly manufactured units in the factory’s outbound lot. The vehicles match the minimalist interior Tesla previously described: no driver controls, no pedals, and no side mirrors.

The 2,500-Vehicle Question

A central question has been how the company would navigate federal rules. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) currently has a 2,500-vehicle-per-year, per-manufacturer limit on deploying autonomous vehicles (AVs) that lack traditional controls.

Tesla’s Vice President of Vehicle Engineering, Lars Moravy, addressed that concern. Asked on X whether the 2,500-vehicle cap applies to Cybercab, he simply responded: "No."

No
— Lars (@larsmoravy) April 22, 2026

This points to Tesla self-certifying Cybercab under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) rather than seeking a special exemption. An FMVSS sticker was previously spotted on a production unit, suggesting the vehicle meets safety requirements without a traditional steering wheel, allowing it to produce as many units as the factory can build.

Ramping Up the Robotaxi Network

The timing aligns with the recent expansion of the Robotaxi service to Dallas and Houston, where fully unsupervised rides are being offered. The current fleet consists of modified Model Ys, and with Cybercab now in volume production, these purpose-built vehicles are expected to join the network.

Tesla has said it would add pedals and a steering wheel if regulations required it, but Moravy’s "No" indicates Plan A remains on track. Recent footage of the car’s frunk showed specialized hardware such as a large fluid reservoir to supply the washers for each exterior camera, highlighting engineering tailored to a dedicated autonomous platform.

The Road Ahead

The company is moving beyond the "testing" phase. By mass-producing a vehicle that cannot be driven by a human, it is doubling down on its Unsupervised Full Self-Driving software.

With production ramping and a regulatory path apparently cleared, Cybercab is no longer a "someday" project. It is the backbone of the company’s future business model, and if Giga Texas maintains its current pace, you might be hailing a wheel-less ride sooner than you think.