Tesla Cybercabs test New York streets with human drivers at the wheel

Tesla Cybercabs have appeared on streets in Manhattan and Brooklyn, but New York City says the vehicles are operating with a human driver and a steering wheel, not as autonomous robotaxis. The city Department of Transportation has concluded that Tesla is testing a supervised driver-assistance feature, so the company does not need an autonomous-vehicle testing permit for the current work.

The sand-gold vehicles have also been seen in midtown traffic and along the Cross Island Expressway. One was spotted outside Mount Sinai’s Chelsea medical center in late July. The cars used in New York have steering wheels, accelerator and brake pedals, and a person in the driver’s seat, according to reporting by Curbed and Gothamist.

City officials contacted Tesla after spotting the cars, rather than being approached by the company beforehand. The DOT classifies Tesla’s system as Level 2 automation, meaning the driver must remain attentive and able to take control. It distinguishes that from Waymo’s Level 4 system, which can perform the driving task itself.

That classification is consequential under the city’s rules. NYC DOT oversees autonomous-vehicle testing through a permit programme, while New York State also regulates demonstrations and tests. State requirements for autonomous testing include a licensed driver behind the wheel, insurance documentation and a law-enforcement interaction plan.

Tesla is not offering Cybercabs to New York consumers as a robotaxi service. Its job listings, however, show recruitment for AI safety operators and data-collection supervisors in Flushing and Buffalo, with advertised pay of $25 to $30 an hour.

Waymo underwent the more formal approval process that Tesla’s supervised testing currently avoids. Its city permit, which was active through March 31, covered eight vehicles in parts of Manhattan and Downtown Brooklyn. Waymo drove thousands of autonomous miles under the permit, submitted 10 reports and met city transportation officials more than 20 times.

The differing treatment has prompted criticism from some autonomous-vehicle specialists. Bruce Schaller told Gothamist that Tesla could be seeking to build public support before confronting regulators. Matthew Wansley of Cardozo School of Law said the company presents its technology to regulators as driver assistance while marketing it to consumers as closer to automated driving.

New York’s law permitting autonomous-vehicle demonstrations and tests is set to expire on April 1, 2028.