The Tesla Cybercab, officially launched in Austin, Texas, was designed as a fully autonomous vehicle with no traditional steering wheel or pedal controls. However, riders have recently discovered that the vehicle contains hidden manual control functionality that appears unintended for public access.
According to videos posted on social media, some Cybercab passengers encountered a virtual joystick interface displayed in the lower left corner of the vehicle’s central screen. The interface includes a toggle for manual driving mode with options labeled “forward” and “reverse,” along with buttons for stopping the vehicle, sounding the horn, and manually opening doors. Additional features displayed live camera feeds, though in at least one instance the camera display appeared to show a frozen image from a previous location.
Tesla engineers likely incorporated these manual controls to assist company employees and depot workers who may need to reposition vehicles in parking areas or other confined spaces at low speeds. Without traditional controls, the automaker required an alternative method for fleet management personnel to adjust vehicle placement without routing requests through Tesla’s Cybercab control center or using remote operators.
The manual controls could potentially prove useful for law enforcement and emergency responders requiring assistance with disabled or obstructed vehicles, though it remains unclear whether such capabilities were discussed during Tesla’s briefings with Austin’s police department regarding the Cybercab service.
Customers who discovered the interface attempted to use the controls but were unsuccessful, though the reasons remain uncertain. Tesla’s design philosophy behind the Cybercab emphasized the elimination of manual controls as a statement about autonomous vehicle development and the future of transportation. The appearance of these controls during customer rides suggests an early technical issue that the company will likely address before expanding the service.
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