Tesla's Cybercab service launched in Austin on Thursday, deploying dozens of autonomous vehicles without steering wheels or brake pedals. The gold-colored taxis represent Tesla's bet that Americans will embrace driverless rides despite widespread skepticism. Tesla shares rose over 5% on the announcement.

Elon Musk promoted the launch on X, posting images of Cybercabs floating above the Austin skyline and teasing "No steering wheel, no pedals." An invitation-only event was planned for later Thursday.

The rollout comes as Tesla races to catch up with Waymo, which operates over 4,000 unsupervised robotaxis across 14 cities compared to Tesla's 200+ in Texas and Florida. Tesla relies on camera-only systems while Waymo and Zoox use lidar and radar. A Pew survey found 70% of U.S. adults uncomfortable with driverless rides.

Tesla faces regulatory hurdles and public trust challenges, with 58% of Americans holding unfavorable views of Musk. The company lost its EV sales crown to BYD last year amid declining profits and controversy over Musk's political activities.