Tesla (TSLA) is entering a new phase in the new year with Cybercab robotaxi, Optimus humanoid robots, and Full Self-Driving (FSD).
The electric automaker is constantly testing and training the Cybercab AI to navigate city streets on its own (Unsupervised FSD). “2026 is the year of sentient robots,” Tesla stated on X.
Tesla just recently also crash tested several Cybercab prototypes at its Crash Lab in Giga Texas. This means that Elon Musk’s company is putting in all the effort to start Cybercab production this year.
“And there is so much to this car that is not obvious on the surface,” Tesla CEO Elon Musk commented on a beautiful top-view picture of the Cybercab on his social media platform X.
The Cybercab vehicle is built on Tesla’s small vehicle platform, often referred to as Model 2. Its road presence can be attributed as a bantamweight among cars, perfect for autonomous ride-hailing for two people.
But what Musk means by saying “much to this car that is not obvious on the surface” means is its versatility. 2026 is going to be a historic year for Tesla’s progress in autonomous driving AI technology.
The combination of AI hardware and software beneath the beautiful exterior of the Cybercab makes it one of the most technologically advanced cars in the world. At least the legacy automakers with big names, big badges, and big price tags cannot compete with Tesla on this front.
Tesla’s AI5 chip has been delayed till 2027. The automaker is going to launch the Cybercab robotaxis this year with the current AI4/HW4 processor. However, AI5 Cybercabs will be released as the chip goes into production.
With the most sophisticated AI electronics hardware installed in it, Cybercabs might prove to be the most advanced Tesla cars that the automaker is offering. Tesla will most likely give Cybercabs first preference when AI5 processors are available.
The FSD software in Cybercabs takes advantage of the AI neural net computer vision built on data from more than 7 billion miles driven by Tesla cars around the globe. Of course, the majority of this internal and public testing has been done in the United States and Canada.
With this statement, Musk is also referring to the features that the automaker has not yet announced for the car. Musk might also be referring to these unique infotainment features that will only be available for the Cybercab.
Tesla has officially launched the Robotaxi ride-hailing service in Austin, Texas and San Francisco, California. However, the tech & AI-based automaker is currently using Model Y Juniper electric cars for the Tesla Robotaxi service.
Even if Tesla is at least able to deploy its Cybercab robotaxi service in large geofenced areas, like entire cities like Austin, Houston, San Francisoc, and Los Angeles, it would be considered great success.
Tesla is already operating Model Y Robotaxis, but the scale and the geofenced maps are limited. The progress of Unsupervised Full Self-Driving will determine the exact launch timeline of the Tesla Cybercab robotaxi service, putting prototype vehicles into production is a skill Tesla has already mastered.
Happy New Year everyone!
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) January 1, 2026
Despite the holiday, Tesla is still Cybercab testing. These two were spotted testing today in downtown Austin, Texas. pic.twitter.com/7kiendRg9V
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- Tesla begins Robotaxi service without safety monitors (Unsupervised FSD) in Austin, Texas (videos)
 CEO Elon Musk says that there is much more to the Cybercab robotaxi than it appears on the surface. Know what it means, more.){kind=link}