--- title: "Cybercabs Are Taking Psychotic Routes That Turn Tiny Trips Around the Neighborhood Into Hour-Long Nightmares" description: "A Tesla Cybercab passenger complained that their ten minute trip turned into an hour-long slog as the car took an absurd route around the city." date: "2026-09-16" modified: "2026-09-16" authors: - name: "Frank Landymore" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/flandymore.md" url: "https://futurism.com/advanced-transport/cybercabs-circuitous-routes" categories: - "Advanced Transport" - "Self-Driving Vehicles" - "Tesla" --- # Cybercabs Are Taking Psychotic Routes That Turn Tiny Trips Around the Neighborhood Into Hour-Long Nightmares ![The interior of a Tesla Cybercab.]() *RONALDO SCHEMIDT / AFP via Getty Images) / Futurism* The Tesla Cybercab is innovating impressively impractical ways of getting from Point A to Point B. One Cybercab passenger in Austin complained that what should've been a ten minute trip devolved into a 70-minute long nightmare as the [steering-wheel-free robotaxi]() spiraled its way down the most circuitous route possible. The driverless cab started the journey by driving in the complete opposite direction of the destination for miles, the exasperated passenger [wrote in a Reddit thread](), then turned around and took a "massive" detour through east Austin. If it was instead a Google Maps car trying to image every inch of the city, you'd have to admit it was a job well done. "My Cybercab held me hostage for an hour," the rider wrote in the post, [spotted by *Electrek*](). "Guess the Cybercab wanted the scenic route today." According to *Electrek*, the reason that the trip took so long is almost certainly because the Tesla Cybercabs can't drive on highways yet. The consequently tortuous routes that the cabs have to take may not immediately be clear to a passenger, though, as the app only shows a price estimate and not a projection of how long the trip will take, the blog noted. Like other robotaxi services, the Cybercabs — which use a version of Tesla's Full Self-Driving software that hasn't been released to the public — operate only within a geofenced area that's been extensively mapped. (Waymo, the leading robotaxi company, does already [allow its cars to use highways in some cities]().) There are other signs that the Cybercabs (and Tesla's confusing named "Robotaxis," which are self-driving taxis in the form of modified Model Ys, instead of a purpose-built vehicle), are still walking on eggshells compared to its competitors. Some passengers say that the cabs also avoid railroad crossings, which could add to trip times. (Tesla is being investigated for FSD frequently going haywire near these crossings and [driving into the path of oncoming trains.]()) Do all these restrictions make for a properly autonomous cab? If you had a time machine, you could go back to 2019 and ask CEO Elon Musk for an answer: "If you need a geofence area, you don't have real self-driving!" he infamously [proclaimed](). **More on Tesla:** [*Tesla Investors Disturbed by Cybercab’s Obvious Lack of Progress*]() ## Author At Futurism, my work has often centered on bringing a sense of clarity and insight to complex topics ranging from the regulation of emerging technologies to the esoteric ideologies of Silicon Valley executives, while striving not to lose the poetic sense of awe inspired by often-obscure fields like astrophysics and quantum computing. I broke the story of CNET using AI to produce articles that turned out to be riddled with factual errors and plagiarism — a dam-breaking inflection point, as I've reported, that's inspired copycats and endless discourse while beguiling stakeholders ranging from tech giants to purveyors of spam around the web. My work at Futurism has been cited by publications including CBS News, the Los Angeles Times, Vice, Gizmodo, Engadget, the Verge, and Vanity Fair. I grew up in locales ranging from India to China, and now live in the exotic suburbs of Virginia. In my free time, I'm an avid reader of weird sci-fi literature, an aficionado of East Asian cinema, and, regrettably, a relapsed gamer. Allegedly, I’m working on a debut novel, currently untitled. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()