Tesla has made significant progress at Gigafactory Texas as they move closer to mass-producing their dedicated autonomous robotaxi. Expert drone pilot Joe Tegtmeyer, who monitors the facility daily, recently observed a surge in Cybercab activity at the beginning of March.
Tegtmeyer reported that the factory production line had increased its volume, with a total of 25 Cybercabs spotted across the property. This marks the largest grouping of these vehicles ever seen by the public.
The fleet was spread out across three main areas of the Giga Texas campus. Fourteen units were parked in a tight formation outside the factory exit, while nine units were located at the crash testing facility and two more were spotted at the west End-of-Line facility. Tegtmeyer also noted several additional units driving around the grounds, indicating ongoing dynamic testing as a regular part of the factory’s operations.
This uptick in visible inventory follows the milestone of the first production Cybercab rolling off the line in mid-February. While these initial builds are part of a test manufacturing phase, the increase in finished units suggests that Tesla is refining its innovative “unboxed” manufacturing process.
The Cybercab is a two-seater vehicle priced at under $30,000, designed without a steering wheel or pedals and relying solely on Tesla’s vision-based Full Self-Driving technology. This shift in manufacturing aligns with Elon Musk’s previous statements, indicating that while the early ramp-up will be gradual, full-scale volume production is set to begin in April.
The presence of nearly ten units at the crash testing site indicates that Tesla is actively engaged in the structural validation and safety certification process required before these vehicles can be deployed.
Overall, Tesla’s progress at Gigafactory Texas signals a significant step forward in the development and production of their autonomous robotaxi fleet. With the company’s focus on cutting-edge technology and innovative manufacturing processes, the future looks bright for the Cybercab and its potential impact on the transportation industry.