Cybercab in Canberra brings one of Tesla’s most unusual electric vehicles a little closer to home. The two-seat, gold-bodied vehicle is on display at Tesla Fyshwick until Sunday 1 November, giving locals a chance to look beyond the photographs and see a very different idea of shared electric travel. The attention-grabbing doors are only the beginning. Inside, there is no steering wheel, accelerator or brake pedal.
For a company associated with getting people excited about driving electric, a vehicle designed entirely around passengers is quite a change of perspective. That is what makes this Canberra stop interesting. It is an opportunity to explore the design, speak with Tesla advisors and form a view of something that still feels unfamiliar on Australian streets.
Seeing a vehicle in person can change that view. Photographs are good at making dramatic shapes look dramatic; real scale reveals whether an idea feels inviting, awkward or surprisingly ordinary. It is part of the thinking behind taking time to extensively test-drive a Tesla when considering an EV available today. Here, though, the invitation is to look rather than drive: Cybercab’s Australian tour is a static showcase, not an opportunity to take a Cybercab ride.
Photography shows Cybercab prototypes at overseas displays. Featured photograph: Avda / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Cybercab in Canberra Makes a Striking Entrance
Tesla’s current Fyshwick event runs from Monday 26 October to Sunday 1 November. The location is 28 Collie Street, and Tesla asks visitors to RSVP because space is limited. The draw is seeing Cybercab up close, with advisors available to discuss the company’s plans for autonomous transport.
| Canberra display | Details |
|---|---|
| Dates | Monday 26 October–Sunday 1 November |
| Location | Tesla Fyshwick, 28 Collie Street, Fyshwick ACT 2609 |
| Attendance | Tesla requests an RSVP; space is limited |
For anyone arriving from outside the ACT, the electric journey can be part of the outing. Our Sydney to Canberra EV road-trip guide brings together the route and stops for an unhurried drive to the capital.
The car itself gives visitors plenty to take in. The gold finish, low roof and smooth bodywork make a distinctive combination. Its shape feels closer to a compact coupé than the upright silhouette many people associate with a taxi. The thin front lighting and covered wheels add to the clean look, while the doors provide a rather less restrained flourish.
From the rear, the broad light strip and gently tapering roof keep the design simple. There is very little visual clutter. The result is futuristic without relying on an enormous body or a crowded collection of details, which is an appealing approach for a vehicle intended to carry people rather than impress a driver with a dashboard full of controls.
Cybercab in Canberra Puts Passengers First
Tesla describes Cybercab as a purpose-built fully autonomous vehicle. That is the intention behind its design, rather than evidence of an Australian driverless service. The interesting part of the display is how clearly that intention has shaped the cabin.
A conventional car organises much of its interior around the person at the wheel. Cybercab removes that familiar position. There are two seats, a large central touchscreen and no traditional driving controls. Both occupants are passengers in the experience Tesla envisages.
| Cybercab design | Key detail |
|---|---|
| Seating | Two seats |
| Doors | Butterfly-style opening |
| Main interface | Large central touchscreen |
| Driving controls | No steering wheel, accelerator or brake pedals |
Two seats make the proposed use quite specific. This is not a vehicle for taking the whole family away for a weekend. It is a compact space for one person or two travelling together. The layout gives the design a clear purpose, even if that purpose will not suit every journey.
That is a useful change from treating every new EV as a direct replacement for every kind of car. Electric vehicles can invite different ways of thinking about travel, as well as offering another way to power the trips we already make. Our look at why people buy an EV explores that everyday appeal; Cybercab takes the conversation in a more passenger-focused direction.
A Cabin That Leaves Room for an Opinion
The most striking interior detail may be the empty space where a steering wheel would normally sit. It changes the character of the cabin immediately. Instead of a cockpit, the design reads more like a small lounge, with the central screen becoming the obvious shared point of attention.
The reference photographs show substantial seat cushions, a central armrest and an otherwise uncluttered arrangement. Those are modest details alongside the autonomous ambition, but they are the things passengers would actually live with. An easy place to settle, a screen that is simple to understand and room to travel comfortably matter just as much as the technology behind the journey.
A screen-led interior will not appeal to everyone. Some will enjoy the simplicity; others may find it sparse. A display lets those reactions move beyond an abstract debate about the future of transport. You can consider the proportions and layout without having to accept every part of Tesla’s proposition.
That curiosity is familiar to the evee community. For people interested in electric travel but not ready to commit to ownership, private car rental for the EV-curious offers a different, very present-day way to explore it. Cybercab is a glimpse of another possible experience, not a substitute for the EVs people can already try.
Butterfly Doors Give the Design Its Personality
The upward-opening doors are the opposite of discreet. Against such a tidy body, they become the feature that gives Cybercab its theatrical side. Open, they frame the cabin and make the two-seat layout particularly easy to see in the prototype photographs.
Doors are more than decoration, of course. They are the first part of a vehicle most passengers interact with, and they influence how welcoming the cabin feels. Here, the dramatic opening reinforces the idea that getting in is part of the experience rather than an afterthought.
The display cannot settle every practical question about that design. It does, however, give people a much clearer object to consider than a distant promise about autonomous travel. There is room to enjoy the ambition and still have your own preferences about how a useful everyday vehicle should work.
A Local Glimpse of a Different Electric Future
The Fyshwick appearance is not an Australian robotaxi launch. The event does not offer Cybercab rides or announce an Australian customer delivery date, price or range. Seeing the vehicle here is a meaningful opportunity to explore the design, not proof of local driverless approval or a vehicle Australians can now buy, hire or hail.
That leaves a perfectly good reason to visit: curiosity. A gold two-seater without a steering wheel is not something you encounter every day, and Canberra’s current display offers a closer look at Tesla’s passenger-first direction before the tour moves on.
For an electric experience available now, our guide to things to know before you rent a Tesla is a helpful starting point. Then browse evee’s available EVs and make your next journey electric. Cybercab offers a glimpse forward; there is already plenty to enjoy on the road today.
