These in-car Cybercab rides continue to show the real-world experience of autonomy as it operates in Austin. Elon builds the future; the rest of us just try not to leave anything behind when the doors open.
Previous on the blog: Episode 196 – Austin Vibes, Early Voting, City Hall, and a Giga Texas Bonus with Elon
Austin, Texas. Episode 196 of Gail’s Tesla Podcast is now live.
Austin vibes, early voting, City Hall, and a Giga Texas bonus with Elon. Cybercabs downtown, heading to vote for Ken Paxton, a chance to meet James Talarico, a tour around City Hall, and then the bonus walk-through at Giga Texas with Elon jumping up on the Cybertruck.
Outline summary / Chapters:
[00:09] – Austin views + Cybercabs downtown
[00:26] – Heading to City Hall to vote for Ken Paxton
[01:07] – Chance to meet James Talarico
[05:08] – Tour around the outside of City Hall (political signs)
[05:24] – Bonus: Giga Texas walk-through
[06:29] – Elon jumping up on the Cybertruck
Watch the full episode here (or tap the X post for the video):
Gail’s Tesla Podcast – Episode 196 Austin vibes, early voting, City Hall, and a Giga Texas bonus with Elon Chapters: [00:09] – Austin views + Cybercabs downtown [00:26] – Heading to City Hall to vote for Ken Paxton [01:07] – Chance to meet James Talarico [05:08] – Tour around the… pic.twitter.com/YDRjobocGJ
Austin, Texas. Episode 194 of Gail’s Tesla Podcast is now live.
In this episode we roll through Austin with Halloween mode activated in the Tesla, stopping for early voting at City Hall and on the UT campus.
At the student union I talked with two students. Glad to put this episode out. Thankful for the freedom of speech to say I’m not voting for Talarico.
Outline summary:
Halloween mode in the Tesla
Early voting at City Hall
UT campus and student union conversations
Personal notes on voting and free speech
Watch the full episode here (or tap the X post for the video):
Gail’s Tesla Podcast Ep 194 Halloween mode in the Tesla and early voting in Austin at City Hall and the UT campus. At the student union I talked with two students. Glad to put this episode out. Thankful for the freedom of speech to say I’m not voting for Talarico. pic.twitter.com/ImpSGhG3yX
Austin, Texas. Episode 193 of Gail’s Tesla Podcast is now live.
This is a conversation with Alexandra Merz, known to many in the Tesla community as @TeslaBoomerMama. We talked about what people would gain if they understood Elon Musk better. This is one of my favorite conversations.
In the episode we cover her perspective as a long-time retail shareholder, her background, and the practical value of looking past the noise to see the actual work.
Outline summary:
Opening conversation while riding in Austin
Alexandra’s path and interest in Tesla
Discussion of what clearer understanding of Elon Musk changes for people (retail shareholders, the public, and the mission)
Reflections on Tesla beyond the car company framing
Personal notes and shared observations from the ride
Watch the full episode here (or tap the X post for the video with captions):
Gail’s Tesla Podcast Ep 193: Alexandra Merz (@TeslaBoomerMama). Beloved by all in the Tesla community! We talked about what people would gain if they understood Elon Musk better. This is one of my favorite conversations! ❤️ pic.twitter.com/stDoeXrGzA
These two short clips are from my recent conversation with Alexandra Merz.
In the first, we talk about what we wish more people understood about Elon Musk. Alexandra says it breaks her heart that he is misunderstood by a large portion of the population, often because of basic resentment toward someone who is rich. She notes that Elon does not appear to care about being rich and shows that every day. If people set that aside and looked closer, they could learn from him about manufacturing, space, and how to handle difficulties. He does not want sympathy or admiration; he wants to be heard. We also touch on his sense of humor and the fact that comedy is legal on X.
Watch that clip here:
Alexandra and I discuss what we wish more people understood about Elon Musk. This was my favorite and most heartfelt question.
In the second clip, I ask what she would want the next group of shareholders to understand if they could grasp only one thing about why the mission matters. Alexandra points to the larger direction: Mars eventually, and in the meantime Terafab, chip production, and Orbital AI. She acknowledges that some who bought into a car company may feel the scope has grown larger and later, but the execution so far has been strong enough that the goal deserves support. We also discuss data center opposition, the inconsistency of wanting fast AI tools while opposing the infrastructure that makes them possible, and the need for communities to be properly compensated. She notes that Elon learned in California to think carefully about where to build, and that the move to Texas was the right one.
Watch that clip here:
I asked @TeslaBoomerMama, if the next group of shareholders only understood one thing about why Elon Musk’s mission matters, what would you want that to be?
Thanks to Elon for this ride. Cybercab takes us through Austin past a clumsy bus and a double-parked truck (the kind of things that used to require human intervention and mild swearing). The windows open and close on the way to the Singularity Thought House and Rainey Street. Grok sends the drop-off option straight to my iPhone.
In this episode I share the real-time ride while Cybercab handles the everyday obstacles and gets us where we’re going.
Watch the full episode here (or tap the X post for the video):
Gail’s Tesla Podcast Ep 192: Thanks to Elon for this ride. Cybercab in Austin: past a clumsy bus and a double-parked truck. The windows open and close on our way to the Singularity Thought House and Rainey Street. Grok sends the drop-off option to my iPhone. pic.twitter.com/9xz260Z3IZ
This is Jessica Tetreau’s first-ever Cybercab ride in lovely Austin. The complete interview is filmed inside the Cybercab as we move through the city. She calls the ride “amazing” and shares her honest first impressions.
Here’s my summary of the episode:
As we ride through Austin’s bar district; Jessica’s immediate reaction that it feels like the Jetsons and the future
We discuss no steering wheel, no pedals, and no mirrors; her suggestion for a four-seater Cybercab
Our arrival is fast (~10 minutes at night) and we had the ability to change the destination
People on the street notice the Cybercab, giving thumbs-up, and getting excited
Recap of the day’s stops: Allen’s Boots, walk down Congress, Four Seasons (valet curiosity about the vehicle), Mount Bonnell (winding hills handled smoothly), and dinner at Elon’s brother’s restaurant (gnocchi, bolognese, Indian puffy tacos)
Jessica’s comments that the ride is smooth, quick, and “sassy”; the vehicle closes doors and drives away efficiently
Closing reflections that Austin feels like a Disneyland or fantasy city with Cybercab access, and that this was “the best day ever”
Watch the full episode here (or tap the X post for the video with captions):
Gail’s Tesla Podcast Ep 191: @JessicaTetreau’s first-ever Cybercab ride in Austin. Complete interview filmed inside the Cybercab. Honest first impressions of an incredible ride she calls “amazing”. pic.twitter.com/i2F6rOEXbm
This is an interview with Jessica Tetreau of Brownsville. She shares the story of Mary Yturria, the longtime Brownsville philanthropist and matriarch who once owned a portion of the land SpaceX recently acquired.
That acquisition is part of the agreement in which SpaceX is contributing up to $220 million toward major water and wastewater infrastructure projects for the city and its people, expected to add roughly 18 million gallons of pure, healthy water per day of capacity.
In this warm conversation, Jessica talks about her friendship with Mary Yturria (who lived into her late 90s), visiting the landfill area herself, and her perspective as a local business owner (Car Wash Plus) on the changes and the water solution for Brownsville.
Outline summary of the episode:
Opening in the Cybercab / ride context
Jessica’s personal connection to Mary Yturria: friendship, lunches, and admiration for her as a Brownsville matriarch
Mary Yturria’s ownership of part of the land near the landfill / Port of Brownsville area that SpaceX acquired
Jessica’s own visit to the landfill site and observations
Local viewpoint on SpaceX’s water infrastructure commitment (wastewater reclamation + Southmost Regional Water Authority expansion) in exchange for the jurisdictional change
Discussion of the practical impact on Brownsville’s water future and community response
Closing reflections on Elon/SpaceX engineers and excitement about the outcome
Watch the full episode here (or tap the X post for the video with captions):
Podcast Ep. 190 In this amazing interview with @JessicaTetreau she tells the story of Brownsville matriarch Mary Yturria. She once owned a portion of the land that SpaceX recently acquired in exchange for bringing miraculously clean water to the city of Brownsville. pic.twitter.com/fvQHROUwpp
Episode 188 is the day I sat inside a Tesla Cybercab.
No steering wheel. No pedals. Just joy.
Thank you, Elon. The future is real, and it is this beautiful.
This episode was filmed on Cybercab launch day in Austin. I climbed into the two-seater, looked at that empty dash with the CYBERCAB script across it, and felt something I have been waiting years to feel in person: a car built from the ground up for riding, not driving.
Watch Episode 188 here:
Gail’s Tesla Podcast Ep. 188 I sat inside a Cybercab at Austin Fairgrounds today. No wheel. no pedals. Just joy. Thank you Elon. The future is real and it is this beautiful ♥️ pic.twitter.com/SZpaTIUnsO
I have taken a lot of unsupervised Robotaxi rides in Model Ys here in Austin. Those rides already feel like history. This was different.
Cybercab is not a regular Tesla with the driver controls left unused. There is nothing left unused. The front of the cabin is open. The seats face a clean interior, a wide screen, and that little CYBERCAB mark where a steering wheel would have been for more than a century.
I was wearing my I ❤️ ELON shirt and red pants, sunglasses on, gold nails catching the Texas light, and I kept reaching out to touch things the way you do when your brain is still catching up with your eyes. The leatherlike seats. The cupholders. The speaker grille. The simple controls on the door. Every detail said: this vehicle was designed for people, not for a person who has to keep a hand near a wheel.
My daughter Grace sat beside me. Two seats. That is the whole cabin. It feels intimate and calm, like the car already knows the job is to carry you, not to ask you to work.
What the Video Shows
Episode 188 is short on purpose. About three and a half minutes. I wanted you to sit there with me.
You will see:
The first look from outside, with the cabin inset so you can see the empty dash and the Cybercab lettering
The two of us buckled in, laughing, taking in a vehicle with no driver controls at all
Close looks at the seats, cupholders, door controls, and speakers
Downtown Austin moving past the windows while the cabin stays quiet and bright
That last beat of me sitting there, hand on my face, trying to put a feeling into words
I did not need a long speech. The car is the speech.
Why This One Matters
For years I have covered Tesla Full Self-Driving, unsupervised Robotaxi rides in Model Ys, and the promise of a purpose-built robotaxi. Episode 188 is the moment that promise became a seat I could sit in.
Model Y Robotaxi proved the software on streets I actually use. Cybercab is the next chapter: a vehicle that does not pretend a human might grab the wheel. That absence is not a missing feature. It is the point.
Launch day in Austin was noisy in the best way with people circling the gold two-seaters, phones up, lambo doors up, the feeling that the city had just been handed a new kind of gold Roman chariot. I wanted this episode to keep the human part. As a woman from Austin sitting in the car and telling you the truth: it made me happy.
If you have followed this podcast from the early FSD drives through the unsupervised Robotaxi rides, this is one of the episodes we were driving toward.
Watch Next
Episode 189 was filmed entirely inside a Cybercab here in Austin with Grok answering fast, a simulated job-interview coaching moment, and Ashok Elluswamy from Cybercab launch day. Episode 188 is the sit-down. Episode 189 is the ride that follows.
Join the Conversation
Have you sat in a Cybercab yet, or taken one through the Robotaxi app in Austin?
What hits you first, is it the the missing wheel, the two-seat cabin, or the feeling that the future finally has a door you can open?
Drop your thoughts in the comments. I read every one.
Stay curious. Stay adventurous. And keep enjoying the ride ahead! 🚕✨
Previous on the blog: Episodes 186 & 187 – Iba Thiam’s First Supervised FSD Ride
(Austin, Texas) Episode 186 and 187 are a two-part conversation with actor Iba Thiam (@IbaAwaThiam), who lives here in Austin. We recorded in the car while Tesla Full Self-Driving (Supervised) handled the roads, this was Iba’s first time experiencing it.
He is known for roles in Alita: Battle Angel, Queen of the South (Bilal), The Chosen, The Leftovers, and Wu-Tang: An American Saga. What I loved about this episode is that it is not only a first-FSD reaction. It is also the story of how he came to America from Senegal, how he got started as an actor, and how he learned to belong in a new place.
We split it into two parts because the conversation kept opening up.
Watch Part 1 here (first FSD ride, acting career, coming to America):
Episode 186 of Gail’s podcast with @IbaAwaThiam He tries Tesla Full Self-Driving (Supervised) for the first time and is amazed. We also talk about his acting career, coming to America, and how he got started. This is Pt. 1 of our conversation! pic.twitter.com/0GMVNT2A76
Watch Part 2 here (the conversation continues and gets even more interesting):
Episode 187 of Gail’s podcast with @IbaAwaThiam We continue the conversation in Austin and it gets even more interesting. He tries Tesla FSD Supervised and is amazed. This is Pt. 2. pic.twitter.com/Aoc6SIg5jH
Iba sat in the passenger seat for his first supervised FSD ride and was genuinely amazed watching the car take over. That first-time reaction never gets old. You can see it on his face: the car is the captain now, and we get to talk.
While FSD moved us through Austin, Iba talked about:
How he got into acting and the grind of finding representation (including those “speed dating” sessions with agents)
Coming to America and what it takes to feel like you belong
How easy it is to take ordinary things for granted
Why he likes being a little uncomfortable — that is often where the next chapter starts
Phones as one of the biggest causes of accidents, which landed differently while the car was driving itself
Part 2 stays in Austin and goes deeper. Same warmth, same curiosity, more of the story.
Why This One Matters
This is the kind of episode I want more of. A working actor who lives in this city, experiencing Tesla FSD for the first time, talking honestly about craft, risk, and starting over. The technology is the setting. The person is the point.
If you have ever wondered what it feels like to hand the wheel to FSD with someone seeing it for the first time, start with Part 1. If you want the rest of Iba’s story, go straight into Part 2.
Join the Conversation
Have you watched Episodes 186 and 187 yet? What stood out — Iba’s first FSD reaction, his path into acting, or the conversation about belonging?
Drop your thoughts in the comments. I read every one.
Stay curious. Stay adventurous. And keep enjoying the ride ahead! 🚕✨
Previous on the blog: Episode 172 – Zuby
Had such a great time meeting Iba Thiam and recording a podcast with him today! Can’t wait to share the episode tomorrow ( he just started a new account here on X. Please follow him @IbaAwaThiam ) pic.twitter.com/vWnv6JND9l
