Tesla's much-touted autonomous "robotaxi", called the Cybercab, has started production, the chief executive of the electric vehicle carmaker, Elon Musk, said on Friday, the same week that the carmaker reported first-quarter profits that beat expectations.

Musk posted a promotional video on X accompanied with the brief caption, "Cybercab has started production."

The 38-second clip, mostly shot from within a driverless Cybercab, showed the vehicle rolling off the factory floor and driving onto streets.

Musk also shared a short video clip showing what appeared to be multiple gold-coloured Cybercabs driving in formation on a road.

Tesla said on Wednesday it was on track to commence "volume production" of both its Cybercab and Tesla Semi this year, after reporting first-quarter profits of US$477 million.

Cybercab – billed as a self-driving robotaxi without a steering wheel or pedals – was first unveiled in the fall of 2024, with Musk predicting at the time that it would become available in 2027.

The auto manufacturer posted a photo in February showing employees gathered around a Cybercab on a factory floor, with the caption "First Cybercab off the production line at Giga Texas." (AFP)


Edited by Priscilla Ng