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Tesla opens Cybercab pre-orders to select buyers for personal use with $299 monthly fee

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Summary

  • Tesla opened invitation-only pre-orders for its $29,990 two-seat Cybercab to select buyers for personal use, planning December 2026 deliveries in Austin, Texas.
  • The car has no steering wheel or pedals and requires a $299-a-month Autonomy Subscription; canceling it leaves the vehicle unusable.
  • The Cybercab operates only inside geofenced Robotaxi service areas in eight Texas and Florida cities, and commercial use is prohibited.
  • Buyers pay a $1,000 non-refundable deposit, cover their own insurance, and Tesla has not said how it selects buyers or how many units are for private sale.
  • NHTSA has questioned how Tesla self-certified a vehicle lacking a required foot brake; Tesla answered confidentially and awaits the agency's decision.

Reactions

  • Elon Musk called the $299 monthly fee too high, saying it should match the roughly $115 cost of Full Self-Driving and connectivity on other models.
  • Musk forecast the Cybercab will be available nationwide as Tesla receives regulatory approval.
  • Marques Brownlee posted that buyers must take delivery in a handful of Texas cities and operate only in geofenced areas, and joked his hair is safe on his under-$30,000 promise.
  • Tesla AI chief Ashok Elluswamy said the Cybercab will work unsupervised inside the same geofenced locations as Tesla's Robotaxi service.
  • Tesla stock closed at $390.22 on November 13, 2026, down 1.82%, before the pre-order announcement was widely reported.

Timeline newest first

  1. Tesla said 'select customers' can now pre-order the autonomous Cybercab for personal use, with an estimated delivery date of December 2026.
  2. Marques Brownlee posted that Cybercab buyers must accept delivery in a handful of Texas cities and can operate the vehicle only in geofenced areas.
  3. Tesla's Ashok Elluswamy said the Cybercab will operate unsupervised inside all the same geofenced locations as Tesla's Robotaxi service.
  4. On the evening of Friday, November 13, 2026, Tesla's Robotaxi account on X began inviting select customers to order the Cybercab for personal use, invitation-only with a non-refundable deposit.
  5. The Cybercab order page set a $29,990 price plus a mandatory $299-a-month Autonomy Subscription, pre-checked, without which the vehicle will not run.
  6. Tesla answered the NHTSA Special Order by the October 30, 2026 deadline and asked the agency to keep its entire response confidential.
  7. In September 2026, NHTSA issued a Special Order requiring Tesla to explain under oath how it self-certified a Cybercab lacking the foot-operated brake mandated by FMVSS 135.
  8. In September 2026, Tesla began offering rides in the Cybercab as part of its Robotaxi service in Austin.

Sources newest first

  • Tesla opens Cybercab pre-orders ‘for personal use,’ with geo restrictions and a $299 monthly fee | TechCrunchtechcrunch.com· 1h

    TechCrunch's In Brief reports Tesla has opened Cybercab pre-orders to select customers for personal use, with a $29,990 price, a $299 monthly fee Musk himself calls too high, and an estimated December 2026 delivery. Tesla will also end Cybertruck production in 2027 after weak sales to build more Cybercabs, while Marques Brownlee says buyers must take delivery in a few Texas cities and operate only in geofenced areas.

  • Tesla Just Started Taking Orders for a Car With No Steering Wheel247wallst.com· 4h

    24/7 Wall St. reports Tesla has begun taking invitation-only personal orders for the $29,990 Cybercab, a two-seater with no steering wheel or pedals that runs only inside Robotaxi geofences and will not operate without a $299-a-month Autonomy Subscription. The outlet argues recurring subscription revenue is why Tesla sells the car to individuals, and notes NHTSA's Special Order demanding answers, under oath, on how Tesla self-certified a vehicle lacking the federally required foot brake.

  • Tesla is inviting some people to buy a Cybercab ‘for personal use’ — but read the fine printtheverge.com· 7h

    The Verge's Andrew J. Hawkins reports that Tesla is inviting select customers to buy a $29,990 Cybercab for personal use, but only in cities with Robotaxi service and under a mandatory $299-a-month Autonomy Subscription whose cancellation leaves the car unusable — with commercial use, including Tesla's own network, explicitly banned. He calculates a real five-year cost of roughly $47,600, and notes NHTSA is auditing how Tesla self-certified the steering-wheel-free vehicle while its legal ruling remains pending.