New to this? Read it in simple words
- Tesla is inviting some people to buy its Cybercab, a car with no steering wheel.
- It costs $29,990, and owners must also pay $299 every month.
- The car only drives itself in the areas that Tesla serves.
- Tesla estimates the first deliveries in Austin, Texas, in December.
- Robotaxi
- A taxi that drives itself, with no human driver.
- Subscription
- A fee paid every month to keep using a service.
- Service area
- The map zone where the company lets its self-driving cars operate.
Tesla’s Cybercab has carried robotaxi passengers in Austin since September. Now Tesla wants some people to own one, as long as they keep paying for the software that drives it.
What buyers get
Tesla announced the invitations on X on Friday, November 13. The order page lists the Cybercab at $29,990 before taxes, with a $1,000 deposit that is not refunded.
The car has two seats, no steering wheel and no pedals. Tesla calls it “fully autonomous” and says owners will manage their rides in an app.
There is no public order page. Tesla picks the buyers, and it has not said how many it will invite.
From Tesla’s order page. Where it may drive, and the regulator’s view, are still open.
The subscription is not optional
Every buyer must also pay $299 a month for an “Autonomy Subscription”, with the first month included. The order page says the subscription and regular maintenance are “required to operate”.
Tesla has not said what the subscription includes. Musk wrote on X that “the monthly fee is too high”, Reuters reports. He said it should match the price of Tesla’s Full Self-Driving and connectivity on other cars, about $115 a month.
Where it can drive
Tesla’s invitation email says the car is “only available in supported service areas”. Electrek reads that as Tesla’s robotaxi areas in Texas and Florida, but Tesla has not published a list.
Ashok Elluswamy, Tesla’s head of AI, said the Cybercab will drive without supervision in the same places as the robotaxi, Reuters reports. Musk said it would be available nationwide as Tesla receives regulatory approval.
Tesla estimates the first deliveries in December 2026, in Austin, Texas.
What regulators say
US car safety rules were written for cars with pedals and a steering wheel. In September, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration asked Tesla to show how the Cybercab meets them, Electrek reports.
Tesla answered on October 30 and asked for its answer to stay confidential, according to Electrek. The agency has not ruled, and it has not commented on the sales to private buyers.
Sources
Every fact in this story comes from the sources below. Open them to check our work.
- 1Primary source · November 13, 2026Select customers are being invited to purchase Cybercab for personal use Tesla Robotaxi on X
- 2Research · November 13, 2026Tesla invites select customers to buy Cybercab for personal use Reuters, via Yahoo Finance
- 3Research · November 13, 2026Tesla Cybercab orders open at $29,990 + $299/mo, only in Robotaxi zones Electrek
- 4
- 5Research · September 15, 2026NHTSA orders Tesla to prove its Cybercab is legal to sell, under oath Electrek
The price, deposit, subscription and delivery estimate come from Tesla’s order page and invitation. The regulator’s request and Tesla’s confidential answer are reported by Electrek alone.
Tesla invites some buyers to own a Cybercab. Silicon AI News, November 14, 2026. https://siliconainews.com/stories/tesla-cybercab-personal-sales
Tesla opens Cybercab sales to private buyers, but a required $299 monthly fee and no regulator ruling temper it. How we rate the mood
The mood shows how the news frames the event for the tech and AI world: as an opportunity (6 and above) or as a loss (below 5). It is not our verdict on who is right.