Tesla Cybercabs Without Steering Wheels Spotted at Giga Texas

Tesla’s long-promised autonomous future has moved beyond renders and isolated prototypes to actual vehicles at Giga Texas. A fleet of newly built Cybercabs was spotted in the factory’s outbound lot, and unlike recent sightings, these units have no steering wheels.

The company is shifting from modified test cars to the production version featuring control-free hardware first shown at the We, Robot event.

The Outbound Lot Sighting

The discovery, shared by longtime Giga Texas observer and drone pilot Joe Tegtmeyer, shows activity at the plant’s outbound holding area. On Friday, April 17, Tegtmeyer captured aerial footage of roughly 14 newly manufactured Cybercabs parked in that lot.

Something big has changed at Giga Texas with Cybercab production … ~ 14 in the outbound lot WITHOUT STEERING WHEELS!

Earlier this week, the production line has begun what we are all waiting for and I would expect to see many more starting on Monday, 4/20 🤠

A big step … pic.twitter.com/K17ZzBlQ8k

— Joe Tegtmeyer 🚀 🤠🛸😎 (@JoeTegtmeyer) April 17, 2026

The images and video show sleek, two-seat vehicles in what appears to be final production form. Along with signature wheels and tire stickers, the 14 vehicles have minimalist interiors with no driver controls—no steering wheels, no pedals, and no side mirrors.

Moving Past the Test Fleet

Dropping the steering wheel marks a major step. Since early road testing began, Cybercab release candidates seen on public roads in California, Texas, and other testing states carried temporary steering wheels, pedals, and side mirrors.

Vice President of Vehicle Engineering Lars Moravy previously stated that these manual controls were strictly for testing and not intended for sale. The prevalence of test vehicles equipped with wheels had fueled speculation that Tesla might introduce a manually drivable version to navigate regulatory hurdles.

The outbound lot vehicles counter that idea. By producing the control-free interior at scale, Tesla signals confidence in its Unsupervised Full Self-Driving software that will power the network. Removing manual controls also reduces manufacturing cost and complexity, lowers vehicle weight, and maximizes interior cabin space.

Production Ramp vs Red Tape

Since the first production unit rolled off the Giga Texas line in mid-February, the Cybercab assembly line has been steadily ramping. This latest batch of 14 wheel-less vehicles is the strongest indication yet that volume manufacturing is beginning this month.

However, production is only part of the challenge. Under current Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, automakers without a special exemption are limited to producing just 2,500 vehicles per year that lack traditional steering wheels and manual controls.

Tesla is working within this cap while seeking federal relief. The proposed Self Drive Act of 2026, which would create a federal framework to permit such vehicles, recently advanced in a House subcommittee.

As the company pursues regulatory approval, the hardware is already waiting at the factory. Last week, Tesla added Dallas and Houston as robotaxi markets, and if production scales as expected over the coming weeks, some of these vehicles may join the driverless fleet soon.