For the last few months, sightings of Tesla’s dedicated Robotaxi have been confined to the low-speed grid of downtown Austin and closed tracks at Giga Texas.
Tesla now appears to be expanding the testing program, as the Cybercab has now been spotted on the MoPac expressway in Austin and, more interestingly, in Buffalo, New York — 1,500 miles from Austin.
The Austin footage is beautiful, as it captures the Cybercab in slow motion on the highway. This was the first time we’ve seen the vehicle moving at high-speeds.
Yesterday, the Cybercab was seen near Buffalo, New York, where Tesla is likely conducting cold-weather testing.
Cybercab on the highway pic.twitter.com/97XD4jVc9a
— Adan Guajardo (@AdanGuajardo) January 7, 2026
Highway Testing
While city driving tests complex decision-making with pedestrians, unprotected left turns, and unpredictable human traffic, it also generally happens at much slower speeds. That means the cabin remains fairly quiet, and the vehicle isn’t impacted by vibration or wind.
However, highway speeds bring wind noise and road vibration to the fore. Engineers need to verify that the Cybercab’s cabin remains quiet and that there aren’t any unexpected resonances or aerodynamic instabilities at high speed.
Winter Testing
The sighting in Buffalo, New York (video by Ty Thomson), likely indicates that Tesla is testing the vehicle in cold conditions. Potentially testing vehicle components, charging, efficiency at colder temps, and more. While temperatures in the Northeast have been warming over the past week, they are still in the mid-30s, allowing Tesla to test the vehicle’s performance in less-than-ideal conditions. Buffalo could see some snow in the next few days, so it’ll be interesting to see if Tesla sticks around to test the vehicle in the snow.
Steering Wheel & Charging
While these latest sightings give us our clearest shot of the Cybercab’s steering wheel, we’re still not sure how Tesla is charging these vehicles.
The steering wheel in the Cybercab seems to be pulled from the Cybertruck. The Cybercab likely has the same steer-by-wire functionality as the Cybertruck.
While the Cybercab is expected to use wireless charging, Tesla may also have a temporary charging port for these vehicles, especially if the vehicle is traveling cross-country, where there isn’t a wireless charging infrastructure.
The Cybercab also features side mirrors, as expected. Current Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) require human controls for test vehicles unless a specific exemption is granted.
Until that legislation changes - potentially as soon as the upcoming hearing next week - Tesla must run its validation and testing fleets with human controls and safety drivers to remain street-legal.
Ramping Up for 2026
This highway and winter sighting line right up with the aggressive timeline that Tesla has emphasized - with production later this year, and Cybercabs on the road by the end of 2026.
The frequency of sightings in Austin has accelerated rapidly - from rare appearances near Giga Texas to tandem drives downtown, and now, high-speed highway test runs at night. This suggests that Tesla is moving quickly from early alpha testing to a more robust validation phase. Tesla says production of the Cybercab will start in April, just a few short months away.
It’s just a matter of time before we begin to see more Cybercabs testing in diverse regions.
