[US Media: Tesla Cybercab to Launch in Austin This Month, but Autonomous Driving Safety Remains Questionable] BlockBeats reported on August 19 that Tesla plans to publicly unveil its driverless taxi, Cybercab, as early as this month in Austin, Texas. The vehicle features a design without a steering wheel or pedals, and Tesla employees have already tested the fully autonomous version on private roads within the company campus. According to reports, Cybercab operates based on Tesla's FSD software, but its autonomous driving capabilities and safety remain under scrutiny. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is still investigating Tesla FSD's compliance with traffic regulations, while existing Robotaxi services in some markets continue to deploy human safety operators. Cybercab, however, is designed to operate without any in-vehicle human intervention. Tesla plans to address emergencies through remote operators and has begun integrating Starlink connectivity into the vehicles. Data collection is also a concern. Tesla stated in July that it needs to accumulate dedicated driving data for Cybercab. As of now, Tesla's unsupervised Robotaxi fleet has logged approximately 380,000 miles across six cities, whereas Waymo has achieved over 220 million miles of fully autonomous driving on public roads since 2020. Additionally, Cybercab's lack of traditional driving controls may face restrictions under federal vehicle safety regulations. It is unclear whether Tesla is seeking regulatory exemptions. The Verge noted that as Cybercab's launch approaches, significant uncertainties remain regarding the autonomous driving safety and regulatory approvals required for its commercial operation. [Original Link]