---
title: 'The Tesla CyberCab Might Be In Your City'
source: 'https://youtube.com/watch?v=Rmr9iIVQr7k'
video_id: 'Rmr9iIVQr7k'
date: 2026-09-19
duration_sec: 85
channel: 'Doug DeMuro'
---

# The Tesla CyberCab Might Be In Your City

> Source: [The Tesla CyberCab Might Be In Your City](https://youtube.com/watch?v=Rmr9iIVQr7k)

## Summary

The video discusses the safety and regulatory concerns surrounding Tesla's new Cybercab, a gold-colored autonomous taxi. It highlights the vehicle's design flaws, such as doors that open into traffic, and explains the US self-certification process that allows automakers to test vehicles that may not meet federal safety standards.

### Key Points

- **Cybercab as Human Guinea Pigs** [00:00] — The speaker suggests that people using the Cybercab are effectively test subjects for Elon Musk, given the vehicle's risky design in busy urban areas.
- **Gold Color as a Statement** [00:12] — The gold color is seen as a deliberate provocation, possibly a middle finger to the working class, highlighting Musk's tone-deafness.
- **Door Design Flaw** [00:24] — The doors open nine feet into the street, making them likely to be ripped off in Manhattan, and the speaker questions why Tesla didn't learn from the Model X's door issues.
- **Cybercab in Austin** [00:38] — The Cybercab is now available as a robo-taxi in Austin, but testing is done with a safety driver present.
- **Self-Certification Loophole** [00:51] — US automakers self-certify that vehicles meet NHTSA regulations, and the government doesn't check each car, allowing for potentially unsafe vehicles to be tested on public roads.
- **NHTSA Investigations** [01:05] — The NHTSA has open investigations into Tesla, suggesting the Cybercab may not meet safety standards, yet automakers can still produce and test non-compliant vehicles.

### Conclusion

The Cybercab's design and regulatory loopholes raise serious safety concerns, and the speaker is skeptical about its readiness for public use.

## Transcript

People who have no regard for their own health and safety can be literal human guinea pigs for Elon Musk riding around in a gold coffin through busy, crowded intersections
in major metropolitan areas. Do you think Musk, in his decision to make this gold, was like, I'm worried people think I'm too in touch. Like, I want this to really be a middle finger to the lower and working classes, so let's make it gold.
You know what hit me? Have you seen one of these from the front with the doors open? I haven't seen one yet, period. The doors open nine feet out into the street. There is not a single one of these in Manhattan that is not going to have the doors taken off.
Don't you think the Model X would have told them, like, maybe we just stop with the whole door gimmicks? The cyber cab is being used now. It was revealed formally the past week, and it is now available for rides in Austin as an actual robo taxi.
I see them around here. They are doing testing. They have a driver here. A couple of interesting things. In the US, automakers self-certify that a car meets NHTSA regulations to be sold. The government does not check each car to validate it.
Really? Yeah, more or less. They will eventually kind of take a look. But the NHTSA has open investigations because they say, you know, this probably doesn't meet our standards. Automakers can kind of do whatever for testing purposes. Like they're allowed to produce vehicles that don't meet any rules
and drive them on roads for testing and development purposes, which makes sense. These are not like out and in theory are for sale.