Tesla Cybercab Detour Turns 10-Minute Austin Trip Into 70 Minutes

A passenger in Austin posted that a Tesla Cybercab robotaxi trip originally planned from the 99 Ranch Market in the north to the Domain district, a journey that normally takes about 10 minutes via elevated highway, instead detoured south and crossed through East Austin, taking 70 minutes in total. The passenger said the fare was about 20 US dollars. The Tesla app shows only a price estimate when booking, not a time estimate, and passengers learn the actual route only after getting in. Passengers can end the trip at any time and call another vehicle.

Regarding the detour route, the account noted that Tesla autonomous vehicles currently cannot enter highways such as MoPac and US-183 and avoid at-grade railway crossings. With both restrictions combined, the vehicle could only travel south along surface streets, running parallel to Austin's Capital Metro Red Line light rail, until it found an overpass crossing the tracks in East Austin.

The Cybercab is a model with no steering wheel and no pedals, and it began carrying passengers in Austin on September 3, 2026. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) launched an audit of its self-certification process the same day. A few days earlier, a Tesla autonomous vehicle was photographed crashing through a set of bollards.

In the United States, Waymo already provides fully driverless service on highways. Tesla autonomous vehicles are currently restricted to low-speed surface roads.