Reader photos show Tesla robotaxi prototype up close, revealing unexpected interior details and rough panel fitment
Gold-wrapped Tesla Cybercab spotted charging in California. Prototype appears to have a steering wheel and a center screen. Reader says panel gaps and build quality looked rough up close. Tesla is quietly working to bring its Cybercab to production, and while it doesn't reveal very much on its own, keen-eyed readers are providing new insight.
One of our readers, Robert, spotted a Cybercab prototype at a charging station and snapped a few candid photos. Let's take a quick look at a car that doesn't exactly match what Tesla showed to the world at its initial unveiling. The gold-wrapped tester was spotted charging at a Supercharger in San Bruno, California, wearing decals that read “Tesla Engineering Prototype V_001” along with “Tesla Cybercab Zero Emissions.” More: Tesla Spent Big On Cybercab Branding, Now Someone Else Owns It This isn't some sort of modified Model 3, but an early test version of Tesla’s dedicated robotaxi platform. According to the tipster, the occupants made it clear they didn’t want anyone getting too close, but the photos still reveal quite a bit. Tesla has repeatedly suggested its future robotaxi would not need traditional driver controls, with past presentations showing vehicles without steering wheels or pedals. This prototype, however, did have a steering wheel, as is evident in the photos. That doesn’t necessarily mean Tesla changed direction. Early engineering vehicles often keep conventional controls for safety drivers while autonomous systems are still being tested. The reader also noted that the car looked a bit rough around the edges, with some panel misalignment. In person, it also appeared narrower and smaller than Tesla’s promotional material suggests, which may simply come down to the usual gap between an early prototype and a finished production model. Notably, the Cybertruck itself ended up smaller than the concept Elon Musk famously rolled out back in 2019. It is also worth remembering that Tesla has a long history of testing unfinished vehicles in public, sometimes long before final specs are announced. Because of that, differences between this prototype and earlier statements don’t necessarily mean Tesla has changed its targets, only that development is still ongoing. Still, the sighting offers one of the clearest real-world looks yet at Tesla’s robotaxi platform. The lack of a rear window is consistent, the overall shape is the same, and at least this time, it doesn't appear as though the tires themselves have paint on them. The rollout might be slow going, but it does appear to be moving forward. Photos Robert G.
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