On the evening of October 10th, Tesla held a launch event for its “We, Robot” autonomous taxi, the Cybercab, at the Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank. CEO Elon Musk unveiled this new model, priced under $30,000, which notably lacks a steering wheel and pedals and features inductive wireless charging. Production is expected to ramp up by 2027.

Before the event began, strict confidentiality measures were in place, and attendees were divided into three categories: social media influencers, Tesla shareholders, and VIP guests. Shareholders were selected through a lottery system, where those with more shares had a higher chance of winning but were limited to one ticket each, without the option to bring a guest. A Toronto resident named Xiaozheng flew to Los Angeles specifically for the event, while her boyfriend, who did not win a ticket, watched the live stream from outside. Among the attendees were Hollywood filmmakers, startup founders, and Tesla PR staff.

Xiaozheng noted that Musk’s speech was as visionary as ever but lacked specific details. The atmosphere at the event was lively, with many attendees being devoted fans of Musk, applauding enthusiastically at every comment he made. An open bar provided refreshments, fostering an energetic mood among the guests, many of whom seemed intent on enjoying the night to the fullest. Tesla’s humanoid robot, Optimus, also made an appearance, interacting with participants. Additionally, Tesla merchandise was available for sale, attracting many buyers.

That evening, each participant had the chance to test ride the Cybercab. Xiaozheng was fortunate to be in the last group for the ride and had to wait until 10:30 PM to board. Because she queued early and struck up a conversation with several high-profile influencers from social media platform X, she was lucky enough to experience the ride with them. Xiaozheng mentioned that she regularly drives a Tesla and uses the Full Self-Driving (FSD) feature, so she did not find the Cybercab significantly different from her own experience.