Tesla (TSLA) Stock: What the Cybercab Launch Means for TSLA Investors
TLDR
- Tesla confirmed Cybercab production has begun, with full assembly-line production targeting April 2026.
- TSLA rose ~0.5% Wednesday to $412.51, reaching $416.46 by afternoon.
- The Cybercab is a two-seat autonomous vehicle with no steering wheel or pedals.
- California’s DMV dropped its suspension threat after Tesla updated FSD and Autopilot marketing.
- Tesla ended Q4 with 1.1 million FSD (Supervised) subscriptions, up 38% year over year.
Tesla shares gained Wednesday after Elon Musk posted on X that production of the Cybercab has started. It’s a small move — up around 0.5% to $412.51 — but the news carries some weight given how often Tesla’s product timelines have slipped.
Musk’s post read: “Congratulations to the Tesla team on making the first production Cybercab!” By Wednesday afternoon, TSLA was trading at $416.46. The S&P 500 was up just 0.1% in the same window.
Barclays analyst Dan Levy said early units are likely for testing and validation, adding the announcement was “supportive of the April timeline” for full production.
That April target matters. Tesla’s history with deadlines is patchy at best. The Cybertruck took four years from reveal to delivery. The second Roadster, teased back in 2017, still hasn’t arrived. Keeping Cybercab on schedule would be a genuine first.
No Wheel, No Pedals, No Precedent
Unveiled at Tesla’s “We, Robot” event in October 2024, the Cybercab is a two-seater built entirely around autonomy. There is no steering wheel, no pedals, and butterfly doors designed for passenger drop-offs rather than tight parking spots.
The vehicle will operate within Tesla’s Robotaxi network. Buyers can also enroll their Cybercab in a revenue-sharing program, collecting a cut of ride earnings when it’s in service — a model Musk has compared to Airbnb for autonomous transport.
One naming detail to watch: Musk noted on the Q4 earnings call that some states bar the use of “cab” or “taxi” in product names. The vehicle could launch as “cyber car” or “cyber vehicle” in certain markets.
FSD Growth and the California Situation
Tesla’s Robotaxi service is already running in Austin using Model Y vehicles, with expansion to nine cities planned for the first half of 2026. Cybercabs will join the fleet as production scales.
FSD (Supervised) subscriptions closed Q4 at 1.1 million, up 38% year over year. The system uses a cabin camera to check driver attention and falls short of full autonomy — but the subscriber growth shows the product is finding a market.
Tesla also resolved a regulatory issue this week. California’s DMV had been moving toward suspending Tesla over its Autopilot and Full Self-Driving branding, arguing both names implied capabilities the systems don’t have. Tesla removed Autopilot from its marketing and added clearer supervision disclaimers for FSD. The DMV dropped the suspension.
Had it gone through, the suspension would have affected Tesla’s California dealerships and manufacturing operations.
Tesla’s market cap stands around $1.4 trillion, with TSLA up approximately 16% over the past 12 months.