On the first and second day of its public launch in Austin, Texas, Tesla Cybercab fares looked very reasonable. However, over the following days, especially during the weekend, the rates seem to have climbed significantly.
The high demand for the Cybercab is driving up its ride-hailing prices. User comparisons show that hiring a Cybercab has become more expensive than an Uber ride.
Interestingly, the autonomous ride-hailing fare for the Cybercab has even surpassed that of the Model Y Robotaxi.
Information and videos shared by customers indicate that the Tesla Robotaxi app also shows long waiting times for Cybercab arrivals. In the following screenshots, we can see that the estimated Cybercab arrival time is around 1 hour.
The distance from Cabana Club to Lustre Pearl East in Austin, Texas, is around 1.3 miles (~2 km). For this short distance, the Cybercab fare is $15.24, while the Model Y Robotaxi fare is $12.04.
The starting ride-hailing fare for the same distance and route in the Uber app was $6.41 (Wait & Save option). Uber X was $7.95, Uber XL was $11.99, and Premier was $12.97.
Model Y Robotaxi also showed a waiting time of ~14 minutes. However, the Cybercab displayed a waiting time of 1+ hours (no immediate availability).
The large pool of Uber rides resulted in a minimum arrival time of 2 minutes for Uber XL. Uber X showed 7 minutes. Even the Wait & Save option had the maximum waiting time of 17 minutes.
Tesla Cybercab is a small 2-seater vehicle without a steering wheel or any pedals, while the Model Y is a mid-sized electric SUV. Since Robotaxi Service users are not allowed to sit in the driver’s seat in a Model Y, the vehicle’s maximum occupancy is limited to 4 passengers.
It’s logical that a larger vehicle with double the passenger capacity would be more expensive to hire. However, it’s currently not the case because of high demand for the Tesla Cybercab.
In the following video, a first-day Cybercab user shared his experience with the autonomous ride-hailing service. The Tesla Robotaxi app showed around half the price for the Cybercab compared to the Model Y Robotaxi ($6 vs $12, respectively).
Curiosity Drives High Demand for the Cybercab
Tesla Cybercab is a futuristic vehicle that does not have a steering wheel or any other means of controlling it while in motion. This has heightened the curiosity of early adopters.
Public access to the Cybercab autonomous ride-hailing service is currently available only in Austin, Texas. In addition to curious users, YouTube and social media content creators have flocked to the city to test the vehicle.
One influencer even spent 5 hours in a Cybercab in a single day. The influx of content creators has also driven up demand for the Cybercab. However, this type of demand will go down in the coming days and weeks.
As the demand normalizes, the Cybercab fares should become reasonable once again.
Share your experience in the comments box below if you recently took a Cybercab ride in Austin, Texas.
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When the hype dies down it’ll be cheaper because you won’t have an angry driver sitting there demanding a tip.