- Cybercab to land in Auckland early-2027.
- Self-drive demonstrations to be offered in Model 3 and Y.
- A 'showcase not a robotaxi launch', says Tesla.
Tesla is bringing its autonomous Cybercab to New Zealand and Australia for a public tour. It'll be familiar territory for the self-driving 2-door: it's been spotted numerous times testing in Central Otago over winter, near the Southern Hemisphere Proving Ground.
There's no suggestion you'll be able to go for a spin in Cybercab, which has no steering wheel or pedals. (It's full operational in Austin, Texas though).
Tesla says the Down Under tour is designed "to give the public a first look at the vehicle designed for a driverless future and a clear reminder that the intelligence behind it is already in Tesla showrooms."
That's a reference to the current Model 3 sedan and Model Y SUV, both of which are available with full self driving supervised (FSD) functionality. NZ and Australia were the first right-hand drive markets globally to get the feature.
The tour will bring Cybercab to Tesla locations so customers, media and the public can "see the purpose-built
autonomous vehicle up close". But the company says it will simultaneously offer visitors a chance to experience FSD (Supervised) in the 3 and Y.
“Cybercab is the destination. Model 3 and Model Y are how Australians and NZers get there today,” says Thom Drew, Tesla country director.
“When people see Cybercab at our locations, we want them to understand they are looking at the future of the same autonomous technology they can already experience with Full Self Driving (Supervised)."
Cybercab is a purpose-built autonomous vehicle, no steering wheel or pedals, with a 2-passenger cabin. It has supercar-like dihedral doors. It's guided by Tesla's camera-based AI, the same technology that's used in the Model 3 and Model Y.
The Cybercab is designed to remain hands-off from an operation point of view with wireless inductive charging (yes, like your cellphone). With the appropriate infrastructure it can park and charge itself with no plug required.
Tesla has confirmed loose dates for Sydney, Brisbane and Gold Coast, Canberra, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth for 2026. Auckland is confirmed for 2027, but no specific month has yet been announced.
