Dozens of autonomous Tesla Cybercabs built without steering wheels or brake pedals were dispatched onto the streets of Austin, Texas, on Thursday to test whether Americans are ready to overcome their reluctance to ride in vehicles without manual controls.
The deployment of the gold-hued Teslas, which offer passengers no ability to take over during an emergency, comes as the company plans to launch the service in additional cities. While Tesla shares have slumped alongside dropping vehicle sales, they rose more than 5% Thursday on expectations that the futuristic taxis could rapidly gain traction.
