Tesla Cybercab Can Be Driven Using Just the Screen [VIDEO]

Designing an autonomous vehicle without a steering wheel or physical pedals creates a practical challenge: how do you move it manually when needed? New footage from Texas shows how Tesla plans to manage manual overrides on its purpose-built Cybercab robotaxi.

Videos shared on X by @BarryGoodStocks depict a production Cybercab navigating a busy Supercharger site in Austin. During automated parking, the vehicle stopped at an angle slightly too far from the charging stall for the cable to reach.

To correct the position, a test engineer inside used manual drive controls on the center touchscreen, pressing and holding on-screen directional buttons to exit the stall, realign, and then reverse into a better spot. See the videos below:

Robotaxi with NO DRIVER and NO WHEEL parking at a supercharger here in Austin Texas!!! pic.twitter.com/syhLquvjCb

— Caleb Barry (@BarryGoodStocks) August 30, 2026

Manual Controls Without a Steering Wheel

The Cybercab interior omits a traditional steering column, stalks, and foot pedals. Tesla has been testing steering wheel-less Cybercabs in Austin for months. However, service technicians, emergency personnel, and factory workers still need a way to steer or inch the vehicle forward during maintenance or unexpected edge cases.

As a fallback, manual driving controls are available on the center display. While holding virtual buttons on a dashboard is not intended for everyday driving, the Cybercab is designed to operate entirely on Tesla’s Full Self-Driving software.

Passengers are not expected to drive the vehicle during normal commutes. For low-speed movements in tight service bays or tricky charging spots, an emergency touch-based steering and drive panel within the UI provides sufficient manual control without adding physical hardware or undermining the aim of a fully autonomous, steering wheel-less commuter.

Ramping Up for Commercial Public Rides

This sighting of someone manually maneuvering a steering wheel-less Cybercab comes as preparations continue to deploy the vehicle across the Texas capital.

In recent weeks, Tesla expanded Robotaxi geofences in Dallas and Austin to widen coverage along metropolitan corridors. Fleet preparations have also accelerated. Recent regulatory filings confirm that Tesla has started adding Cybercabs to its Robotaxi fleet in Texas ahead of the official Cybercab launch event on Thursday, September 3.

With production units actively testing Supercharger access and driving on Texas streets, public rides in steering wheel-less Cybercabs could begin as early as this week.