Tesla's vision of a fully autonomous future is no longer just a render or an isolated prototype. It is now sitting in the Texas sun. In a major milestone for the Robotaxi program, a fleet of newly built Cybercabs has been spotted at the Giga Texas outbound lot, and notably, the vehicles lack steering wheels, unlike the recent examples we’ve seen.
Tesla is officially transitioning from building modified test vehicles to producing the true, control-free hardware originally unveiled at the We, Robot event.
The Outbound Lot Sighting
The discovery comes courtesy of longtime Giga Texas observer and drone pilot Joe Tegtmeyer, who monitors the facility's daily operations. On Friday, April 17, Tegtmeyer captured aerial footage showing approximately 14 newly manufactured Cybercabs parked in the factory's outbound holding lot.
Something big has changed at Giga Texas with Cybercab production … ~ 14 in the outbound lot WITHOUT STEERING WHEELS!
— Joe Tegtmeyer 🚀 🤠🛸😎 (@JoeTegtmeyer) April 17, 2026
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
The images and video reveal the sleek, two-seat vehicles in their final production form. Along with the signature wheels and tire stickers, these 14 units clearly feature the minimalist interior Tesla promised: absolutely no driver controls, no steering wheels, no pedals, and no side mirrors.
Moving Past the Test Fleet
Removing the steering wheel is a big step for the program. Since early road testing began, the Cybercab release candidates spotted on public roads across California, Texas, and other testing states have all been equipped with temporary steering wheels, pedals, and side mirrors.
While executives like Vice President of Vehicle Engineering Lars Moravy previously clarified that the manual controls were strictly a test feature and not intended for consumer sale, the sheer number of test vehicles equipped with wheels led to speculation that Tesla might pivot to release a manually drivable version to bypass strict regulatory hurdles.
This new outbound fleet puts that speculation to rest. By mass-producing the control-free interior, Tesla is proving its immense confidence in the Unsupervised Full Self-Driving software that will power the network. Removing manual controls helps reduce manufacturing costs, complexity, and vehicle weight while maximizing interior cabin space.
Production Ramp vs Red Tape
Since the very first production unit rolled off the Giga Texas line in mid-February, the Cybercab assembly line has been steadily ramping up. This latest batch of 14 wheel-less vehicles is the strongest indication yet that volume manufacturing is beginning in earnest this month.
However, building the cars is only half the battle. Under current Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, automakers are limited to producing just 2,500 vehicles per year that lack traditional steering wheels and manual controls without a special exemption.
Tesla is actively navigating this cap while simultaneously pushing for federal relief. The proposed Self Drive Act of 2026, which would establish a federal framework to permit these specific types of vehicles, recently advanced in a House subcommittee.
As Tesla pushes for that regulatory green light, the physical hardware is already waiting at the factory gates. Last week, Tesla added Dallas and Houston as robotaxi markets, and if production scales as expected over the coming weeks, we may just see some of these vehicles join the driverless fleet soon.
