Tesla is entering the final stretch for its most ambitious project yet. New footage from Gigafactory Texas reveals that production-ready Cybercab units are currently undergoing validation testing, and they appear to be missing one very traditional feature: a steering wheel.
The sighting comes from longtime Giga Texas drone pilot and observer Joe Tegtmeyer, who spotted several Cybercab units at the factory’s crash testing facility this week. Tegtmeyer noted that these appear to be final production versions, complete with "stickers on tires" and an absence of steering wheels or pedals. "These Cybercabs may be production versions being prepared for crash testing,” he observed.
Cybercab: What We Know So Far
The timing of these sightings lines up perfectly with Tesla's aggressive roadmap. The company recently celebrated its first production Cybercab rolling off the line at Giga Texas, with volume manufacturing scheduled to begin in earnest this April. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has also doubled down on the company’s plans to sell the Cybercab to consumers for $30,000 or less before the year is up.
The two-seat, all-electric autonomous vehicle is designed to be the backbone of Tesla's Robotaxi network. Unlike Tesla’s consumer cars, the Cybercab is built specifically for high-frequency autonomous use. This includes some unique hardware, like dedicated washers for every single camera on the vehicle — ranging from the B-pillars to the front bumper — to ensure the Full Self-Driving (FSD) system always has a clear view of the road.
We also know that the Cybercab will ditch the traditional plug. Tesla recently secured FCC approval for the Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology required for wireless induction charging. While earlier validation units seen in the wild still had a hidden NACS port under the rear bumper for manual charging, the final goal is a car that can juice up entirely on its own.
To Wheel Or Not to Wheel
The biggest question surrounding the Cybercab has always been whether regulators would actually let Tesla ship a car without human controls. Musk has described the Cybercab as an "engineering optimization" for autonomy, meant to be experienced without a steering wheel or pedals.
Cybercab production versions (note stickers on tires, apparently no steering wheel & seat belts across both front seats at the Giga Texas crash testing facility today.
— Joe Tegtmeyer 🚀 🤠🛸😎 (@JoeTegtmeyer) February 20, 2026
Note the image of the Cybercab team and my circled area on the top left … the wheels seen here appear to be… pic.twitter.com/nEDxv1CvYH
However, the company has kept its options open, hinting in the past that it could ship a version with a wheel if required by law to get the fleet on the road. This latest sighting at the Giga Texas crash lab suggests that Tesla is currently betting on the wheel-less design. If these units are being used for final crash validation, it means Tesla is confident that the "no-controls" interior is safe enough for the real world. After all, the company has already been offering fully unsupervised rides to the general public with its Robotaxi pilot in Austin for weeks now.
Tesla is also moving forward with its plan to ditch side-view mirrors. While early prototypes spotted in the wild still had them, they have been noticeably absent on the latest units.
With mass production just a couple of months away, Tesla is quickly moving from "prototype" to "reality." Whether regulators agree with Tesla’s vision remains the last major hurdle.
