Direct answer
On Tesla's third-quarter earnings call on October 21, 2026, engineering vice president Lars Moravy said Tesla will start selling the Cybercab to customers by the end of the year, starting small and mainly to fleet buyers. At the same time, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has an open Audit Query, AQ26002, into how Tesla self-certified the Cybercab against federal safety standards. No price, delivery schedule or ownership terms have been published. [1] [2]
What Tesla said on October 21
According to TechCrunch's report of the call, Moravy said all Cybercabs produced so far are destined for Tesla's own robotaxi fleet, and that as the fleet grows Tesla will mainly deliver fully designed autonomous vehicles to customers, beginning in small numbers and scaling as it learns about delivery, ownership and fleet management of autonomous vehicles. Elon Musk said the vehicle is meant for ride-hailing rather than private ownership and that the vast majority of Cybercab activity will be Tesla-owned transport as a service. [1]
Tesla first raised third-party sales at a Cybercab event in Austin in September and posted an interest form for prospective buyers. Our earlier guide reviewed that form on September 11, 2026 and found an inquiry process rather than a retail order flow. The October statement adds a timeframe but, as reported, still no price. [1] [3]
The NHTSA audit, in plain terms
On September 4, 2026, hours after Cybercabs began carrying passengers in Austin, NHTSA opened Audit Query AQ26002 into Tesla's certification that the Cybercab meets all applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. Automakers self-certify compliance. NHTSA says it will evaluate the technical data and processes Tesla relied on for a vehicle without traditional human controls, including whether Tesla's framework rested on determinations that certain requirements do not apply to automated vehicles. [2] [4]
The agency is separately rewriting standards written around human drivers, such as those covering brake pedals, windshield wipers, lighting and rearview mirrors. Its release is explicit that until that work is completed, existing standards remain in force. The release does not say whether Cybercab operation may continue during the audit, and it names no specific standard as the subject of the query. [2]
What a fleet buyer can establish today
The table lists the questions a prospective fleet purchaser would need answered and what the public record established as of our review date.
| Question | Established | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Will Tesla sell Cybercabs to outside buyers? | Stated intent on an earnings call: sales to begin by end of 2026, starting small, mainly to fleets. | TechCrunch report of the Q3 call. [1] |
| Price | Not published. | No source reviewed states a price. [1] [3] |
| Is the vehicle certified for sale? | Tesla self-certified; NHTSA is auditing the basis for that certification. | NHTSA release and investigation record AQ26002. [2] [4] |
| Where does it operate? | Commercial driverless deployment in Austin, Texas. | NHTSA release. [2] |
| Who services a customer-owned Cybercab? | Not published. The vehicle has no steering wheel or pedals, which affects towing, movement in a shop and depot handling. | See our towing and breakdown guides for current practice with other driverless vehicles. [1] |
Why a service business should watch this
If sales proceed, customer-owned Cybercabs would be the first driverless vehicles in private fleet hands at any scale, and their owners would need cleaning, tires, glass, charging and recovery arranged without an in-house depot. Tesla has said it will learn about ownership and fleet management as it goes, which means owner responsibilities are not yet defined. [1]
The audit matters to service providers as well as buyers. If NHTSA's review changes what Tesla may sell or operate, the timing of any fleet purchases, and the demand for local service, moves with it. We will update this guide when NHTSA closes or escalates AQ26002 or when Tesla publishes ordering terms. [2] [4]
Frequently asked questions
Can I order a Cybercab now?
As of our review, Tesla's public route is an interest form for commercial use. Tesla has stated that sales will begin by the end of 2026, but no ordering process, price or delivery date has been published. [1] [3]
Does the NHTSA audit stop Cybercab operations?
The September 4 release does not say operations must stop. It states that existing standards remain in force while NHTSA updates them and that the agency is evaluating Tesla's self-certification. [2]
When will Tesla owners get unsupervised driving in their own cars?
Musk said on the call that an unsupervised version of Full Self-Driving would reach customers in the second quarter of 2027. The current product remains a supervised driver-assistance system requiring an engaged driver. [1]
What we don’t know yet
- Cybercab purchase price, order process, delivery timing and buyer eligibility.
- The outcome and timing of NHTSA Audit Query AQ26002.
- Service, warranty and roadside arrangements for customer-owned Cybercabs.
Sources
- TechCrunch: Tesla says it will start selling Cybercabs by end of year (October 21, 2026) · Accessed
- NHTSA: investigation into Tesla Cybercab self-certification (September 4, 2026) · Accessed
- Tesla: Robotaxi commercial-interest form · Accessed
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation: Audit Query AQ26002 opening resume · Accessed
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