Tesla’s AI-powered Cybercabs have been spotted in Philly. Will you be able to try one soon?
There has been pushback against Waymo in Philadelphia from City Council, human rideshare drivers, transit workers and others.
Tesla seems to be testing its autonomous Cybercabs in the Philadelphia area after launching them in Austin earlier this month.
Local Cybercab sightings have been posted on Reddit and other social media in recent days, with photos and excited commentary reminiscent of trainspotters. Several people posted shots of the gold vehicles parked in the lot of a Devon Tesla dealership.
One Reddit user reported being told at the dealership that vehicles are undergoing “training” for future deployment in Philadelphia.
“We’re not at liberty to discuss that,” a person who answered the phone in the sales department said Friday.
Tesla’s corporate media team did not respond to a request for comment about its Cybercab plans in the Philadelphia market.
Competitor Waymo is already here, so if Tesla does make a Philly play, a robotaxi arms race is possible.
On Sept. 3, two-seat Cybercabs began offering driverless rides to the public in parts of Austin, Texas. after a closed-door launch party attended by Tesla enthusiasts and influencers.
The fully autonomous version has no steering wheel, pedals or mirrors, and is piloted by AI, using an array of cameras to navigate.
Waymo has not announced when it will start carrying passengers in Philadelphia. Under state law, PennDot must approve before people can hail one of its autonomous taxis and pay for a ride.
Waymo started manual testing and mapping in Philadelphia in July 2025 and in December shifted to testing autonomous driving with safety specialists behind the wheel as backup.
The Cybercabs caught the attention of James Mosley this week.
Mosley, a commercial and fashion photographer, was waiting for a Route 65 SEPTA bus on City Avenue for the second leg of his commute to work Wednesday morning when he saw the brassy gold, soundless EV with a Cybercab logo on the front bumper and a Texas license plate on back.
“It was shock and awe,” Mosley said. “I thought, ‘This is crazy.’”
He captured a short video clip of the autonomous vehicle passing through an intersection and changing lanes (with signal) to make a left turn at the next traffic light.
Mosley said he didn’t see a person in the cab, which has tinted windows. In any case, he wouldn’t trust AI to drive him in a fully autonomous Cybercab.
“I don’t even like the self-checkout at the grocery store,” he said.
