The future of autonomous mobility is moving beyond software alone. As robotaxi platforms advance, vehicle design itself is beginning to change, with new concepts moving away from traditional driver-focused features such as steering wheels, pedals, and manual controls.
Tesla has begun testing a production version of its Cybercab in Austin, Texas, designed with two seats and no steering wheel or pedals. According to TechCrunch, the testing is currently being conducted with a safety monitor in the passenger seat, reflecting both the ambition and the caution surrounding the next phase of autonomous vehicle deployment.
The Cybercab represents a broader shift in autonomous vehicle design. Instead of adapting conventional cars for self-driving use, companies are increasingly exploring purpose-built vehicles created specifically for driverless mobility. These vehicles are designed around the passenger experience, operational efficiency, and autonomous systems rather than human driving controls.
This shift is also being supported by regulatory discussion. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has proposed changes to federal safety standards that could remove the requirement for manual brake pedals in vehicles designed exclusively for automated driving systems, while still requiring vehicles to meet federal braking performance standards.
For the mobility industry, this is a significant development. Fully autonomous vehicle design raises important questions around safety validation, passenger trust, emergency response, cybersecurity, infrastructure integration, and public acceptance. A vehicle without traditional controls requires confidence not only in the technology, but also in the regulatory framework, operating environment, and user experience.
The evolution of robotaxi design also reflects a wider transformation in transportation. Autonomous mobility is no longer only about whether a vehicle can drive itself. It is about how vehicles are built, how cities prepare for them, how passengers interact with them, and how companies bring them to market responsibly.
Recent research on robotaxi user experience highlights that passenger trust, transparency, emergency handling, privacy, and accountability remain central to the success of autonomous mobility services. These issues will become even more important as vehicles move further away from conventional human-operated design.
As the industry moves toward fully autonomous platforms, collaboration between automakers, technology companies, regulators, infrastructure providers, and mobility operators will be essential. The next phase of autonomous transportation will require more than advanced sensors and AI systems. It will require a complete ecosystem capable of supporting safe, scalable, and commercially viable deployment.
This is where Mobility TechEx at EVIS America 2026 becomes especially relevant. As part of EVIS America, Mobility TechEx will explore the technologies shaping the future of transportation, including AI, autonomy, smart mobility, connected systems, and next-generation vehicle platforms.
EVIS America 2026 will bring together global mobility leaders, technology providers, policymakers, investors, fleet operators, and innovators to discuss how future mobility can move from concept to real-world scale.
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