We tested the driverless Tesla Cybercab in London

Getting into a car and not having to worry about adjusting the steering wheel, keeping your hands on the wheel and keeping your smartphone far away, not to mention the potential of fines is peculiar. All you have to do is enter your destination on the central screen, or better yet on the app, and lose all interest in driving. This is autonomous driving, a pipe dream that some carmakers have abandoned, whilst others continue to develop it. Then there's Tesla, which presented its autonomous car a few months ago.

It's called the Tesla Cybercab and it reportedly anticipates the shape of the Tesla Model 2, which is supposed to be the Texan company's cheapest car. However, this may not be the case. In fact, the Cybercab would be Tesla's 'baby' priced at under $30,000 (approx. £25,000) and dedicated to robot taxi fleets. And nobody will be able to drive it, because it will take care of itself. In London, we saw one of the working examples that took part in the Californian presentation last October. Here's what it looks like.

The effect it produces

It looks strange. Some might even go so far as to miss the much-criticised (and not at all comfortable) Yoke, the Supercar-style steering wheel launched some three years ago. Here, the steering wheel simply doesn't exist. No problems on the assembly line, of course, as the Tesla Cybercab is a Level 5 self-driving car, meaning it needs no human controls. A coupé for two passengers, where the driver doesn't exist. Or rather, he takes the form of integrated circuits and motherboards. The soul is the software that makes it all talk to each other.

Le Tesla Cybercab vu en direct

In fact, it's the steroid version of Tesla's Autopilot, with cameras and artificial intelligence constantly monitoring it. No radar or lidar. For Musk, it's better this way, to have "real" eyes watching the road. The rest is left to others. Who will be right? Posterity will judge.

But I don't want to get bogged down in philosophical considerations. Let's get straight to the point: what does the Cybercab look like in person? Aesthetically, it takes its inspiration from the Cybertruck, but without the ungainly, excessively pointed shapes of the Tesla pick-up. It almost looks like a child's drawing. Its lines are simple and it lacks details such as rear-view mirrors and a rear window. On the other hand, if you're not driving, what are they for?

Tesla Cybercab, rear view

Le Tesla Cybercab vu en direct

It's a bit anonymous. So anonymous that it doesn't even have a logo on the bodywork. And why is that? Because it doesn't need one. Its simple lines make it stand out. And then, if you see it go by and notice that there's no driver, your doubts disappear.

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Still a prototype

Inside, the stylistic minimalism continues. There's only the central monitor, the same one found on every other Tesla. Listen to music, watch films, play games. It's all there. There are only three physical buttons: two for lowering and raising the windows and one for switching on the ceiling light.

Tesla Cybercab, inside

Here, distraction is the order of the day, either because of the boredom we're feeling, or because of the anxiety of knowing that we'll never, ever be able to intervene in case of danger. It's a rollercoaster effect, except that we won't be on rails inside an amusement park. It's a shame, though, that I wasn't able to play with the infotainment system on the prototype I saw in London. It was in demo mode, showing a looping video. Dedicated functions such as video calls and applications for working are expected, while for the various video games present, it will obviously not be possible to use the steering wheel, but Bluetooth controllers can be connected just like the current Tesla.

There's no shortage of space, either in the cabin or in the boot. There's no official data on the load capacity, but it's almost that of a family car and, during the presentation, there was talk of the possibility of accommodating a few bicycles. That's not too bad.

However, it's too early to talk about the quality of the materials: this is a prototype and the production version will arrive "by 2027", Musk said. Still, the feel didn't give me particularly gratifying feedback. Neither did the seats, not so much the materials or the design despite being reminiscent of the chairs at home, but the total lack of contour leaves something to be desired. You shouldn't expect to hit excessive speeds, but even slightly contoured side bolsters to caress the body make a difference.

Tesla Cybercab, the central monitor

Then there's the question of timing as we know that Musk's projects are invariably delayed and rescheduled. The advice is not to bet everything on 2026 for the actual arrival of the Cybercab on the market. In addition to the technical issues, there will also be legislative issues to deal with and amend.