Tesla has provided Cybercab passengers with a way to view the rear situation and completely turn off the cabin display. Passengers in Austin can now access real-time rear camera footage on the central display of the Cybercab during their ride. Austin passenger Ethan McKanna discovered this change on Friday night, posting during a ride: "You can now turn on the camera to see what's behind the Cybercab!" His photo showed a rear camera video appearing at the top of the display, with another Cybercab following on the bridge.
On Saturday, Sawyer Merritt shared the image, writing that "it sounds like" there is also a new silent mode that dims the entire display for passengers who want to relax, sleep, or avoid nighttime glare. The camera view is not limited to just the rear image. Tesla's user interface software engineer Evan (posting as @CarCoder) responded to McKanna with a tip: "You can also click it to see more cameras and swipe up and down to hide and show." Previously, the Cybercab only displayed its rear and repeater images on the "Please exit safely" screen at the end of the ride, allowing passengers to check for bicycles and traffic before opening the door.
The silent mode appeared the day before. Austin passenger Jackson Blatz posted a video on Friday morning showcasing the new Robotaxi interface and its options in the Cybercab. Tesla has not yet released update notes for these two features. The rapid rollout of the rear camera footage came after a request from Austin Cybercab passenger Dan Burkland, who asked Tesla to allow passengers to access rear and repeater camera views "especially for peace of mind."
Evan's response at the time was "in development," as reported by Teslarati. About two weeks later, passengers had access to this feature. This functionality fills a gap created by the design of the Cybercab. Without a steering wheel, pedals, mirrors, and rear windows, passengers cannot naturally check the rear situation. Eight external cameras have already been integrated into Tesla's autonomous driving software, so this change only required a software update.
New Features Enhance Passenger Experience in Tesla Cybercab
Additionally, the construction of this change also involves factors of artificial intelligence. Yun-Ta Tsai, a senior engineer on the Tesla AI team, quoted Merritt's post and wrote: "The (human) camera view adjustments are optimized through Grok and are part of the algorithm that directly programs fixed-function hardware, so I don't even need to look at the data sheet." Tsai did not disclose which part of the Grok processing algorithm is involved. Grok's role within the vehicle has increased, with Grok Bot now enabled in every Cybercab and Model Y Robotaxi in the fleet, a change that has been in place since Tesla introduced the agent into its vehicles in September.
These two features have brought busy changes to Austin passengers within a week, coinciding with the launch of redesigned iPhone and Apple Watch live events and instant trip sharing. These features are also part of Tesla's preparations for the Cybercab to enter life outside its own fleet. During the third-quarter earnings call, Lars Moravy stated that the company plans to deliver Cybercabs to customers by the end of 2026. Tesla has not disclosed whether the rear camera footage and silent mode will also be applied to its Model Y Robotaxis.