Tesla May Reintroduce Steering Wheel and Pedals in Cybercab Amid Regulatory Hurdles

Tesla has long been positioning its upcoming robotaxi: the Cybercab, as a purpose‑built, full‑autonomous vehicle that omits traditional driver‑controls such as a steering wheel and pedals. 
But in a surprising twist, Tesla’s Board Chair Robyn Denholm signalled that the company may need to reconsider that plan, depending on regulatory realities. 

Oh man, I'd love to see the Tesla Cybercab for sale with a steering wheel as the offical "affordable Model" for $25k 😍💛 pic.twitter.com/3bBIuBPhWU

— Tobi Mülhauser 🍕 (@TobiMuelhauser) October 27, 2025

Denholm told an interview with Bloomberg that “if we have to have a steering wheel, it can have a steering wheel and pedals.” 
Her remarks suggest Tesla’s originally radical vision, a two‑seat vehicle entirely lacking human driving controls, may be forced to adapt to the current regulatory framework, which still mandates such controls even for highly autonomous vehicles.

Tesla had revealed the Cybercab last October at the We, Robot event in Los Angeles, stating the car would not have a steering wheel or pedals and instead be optimised for cost‑per‑mile in ride‑hailing services.
CEO Elon Musk as recently as last week reaffirmed: “It, in fact, does not have a steering wheel or pedals and is really an enduring optimization on minimizing cost per mile of operation.”

But Tesla is targeting a Q2 2026 launch for the Cybercab. 
With regulatory bodies still requiring steering wheels and pedals in autonomous vehicles, Tesla may face a trade‑off between its ideal design and regulatory compliance.

What this means

• If Tesla proceeds with adding a steering wheel and pedals, the production cost and unit‑economics of the Cybercab could shift materially.

• The change signals how even a company pushing level‑5 autonomy must contend with established vehicle regulations.

• For Tesla’s ride‑hailing ambitions and robotaxi network plans, the path forward may require balancing the ideal product specs with regulatory practicalities.

Stay tuned for further updates as Tesla works through the regulatory implications and finalises the vehicle’s production specs.