Dave Lee on Investing

I Rode Tesla’s Cybercab… It’s Better Than I Expected

Dave Lee on Investing

Show Notes

I took two rides in Tesla’s Cybercab in Austin, and I’m telling you — this thing exceeded my expectations.

The legroom, quiet cabin, huge screen, and freedom to just sit back and enjoy the ride are incredible. But the biggest surprise was how natural it feels with no steering wheel or pedals. There’s no empty driver’s seat reminding you that someone is missing. It just feels like this is how getting from point A to point B is supposed to work.

On my second ride, I reclined my seat and watched my own Cybercab video inside a Cybercab. Half an hour flew by, and I felt refreshed.

In this video, I share my first impressions, how the experience compares with a Model Y Robotaxi, and what I’d still improve—including a plusher ride and shorter wait times. I also explain why I think Tesla has reached an amazing milestone for transportation.

00:00 Opening moments 00:59 My first Cybercab ride in Austin 02:14 Legroom, seats, and the massive screen 02:44 Ride quality: what I’d improve 03:37 Spotify and settling into the ride 04:45 Testing the window controls 05:03 Why no steering wheel changes the experience 07:21 Second ride: YouTube, relaxing, and exceeding expectations 09:32 More Cybercab videos and what’s next 10:12 What Tesla has pulled off 11:21 Wait times and the potential as Tesla scales

Check out my previous Cybercab video for what I learned talking with Tesla’s engineers, and subscribe for my next video on the bigger implications.

#Tesla #Cybercab #RobotaxiSocial

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💁🏻‍♂️ Disclaimer: All content on this channel is for discussion and illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as professional financial advice or recommendation to buy or sell any securities. Should you need such advice, consult a licensed financial or tax advisor. All views expressed are personal opinion as of date of recording and are subject to change without responsibility to update views. No guarantee is given regarding the accuracy of information on this channel. Neither host or guests can be held responsible for any direct or incidental loss incurred by applying any of the information offered. Author is long TSLA and other stocks at time of original video publish date.

Check out my archived articles/posts on Tesla and investing: https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/articles-megaposts-by-davet.23473/#post-485768

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Social 🐦 Twitter https://mobile.twitter.com/heydave7 🎧 Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dave-lee-on-investing/id1493031991 🎙️Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/2iin015s0k21Bt4ldep9XT?si=uBV4Ft8hQEu_GE4YSIDDGg 📸 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/heydave7 Dave Lee on Parenting, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWD9b1BZqi2G2u30sGYIFrA

Sep 6, 2026

Tesla’s growth has slowed, and the affordable new model many people expected hasn’t arrived. Did Tesla abandon its high-volume ambitions—or choose a different path to get there? In this video, I share my theory about why Elon Musk went all in on Cybercab and FSD, what that decision may have cost Tesla in the short term, and how it could lay the foundation for an entirely new lineup of affordable, autonomous vehicles. I explore the tradeoff between building a cheaper conventional Tesla and designing a vehicle around the rider from the ground up. I also outline a six-step path from Cybercab to broader consumer sales and high-volume production. This is my interpretation of Tesla’s strategy, with plenty of speculation—not a confirmed product roadmap. Execution, software readiness, and regulatory approval still matter. Would you have built a cheaper Tesla with a steering wheel first, or made the Cybercab bet? Share your thoughts in the comments. 00:00 What happened to Tesla’s growth? 02:12 Where is the cheaper Tesla? 04:32 My thesis on Tesla’s future 05:15 Cybercab vs. a cheaper conventional Tesla 09:23 Elon’s all-in decision 11:05 The complexity of driver controls 11:48 Why focus and urgency matter 14:30 Lessons from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google 19:44 Cybertruck’s shortfall 21:17 Model Y and the missing growth vehicle 23:10 How Cybercab could unlock growth 24:06 Step 1: Define the future of transportation 25:06 Step 2: Build the software and vehicle 26:59 Step 3: Prove it works 28:03 Step 4: Obtain regulatory approval 28:32 Step 5: Sell to consumers 29:19 Step 6: Expand the vehicle lineup 31:54 Short-term costs and risks 32:41 Tesla’s potential next growth era 35:13 Closing thoughts

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