The first real look at the Tesla Cybercab's interior software has arrived — and it's more revealing than Tesla probably intended. Early production unit screenshots, flagged with a 'Factory Sentinel' watermark, show the robotaxi's 21-inch central display running a pre-production software build. Here's what stands out.
1. It's the Biggest Screen Tesla Has Ever Put in a Production Vehicle
The Cybercab's central display measures 21 inches — larger than anything Tesla has shipped in the Model S, Model X, Model 3, or Cybertruck. That's not just a spec flex. Because the Cybercab has no steering wheel and no pedals, this screen is the only control interface in the cabin. Everything a passenger needs — navigation, climate, entertainment, communication with the fleet — runs through this single panel. The size isn't cosmetic; it's functional by necessity.
2. The UI Design Will Feel Familiar to Any Tesla Owner
Despite being a ground-up robotaxi platform, the Cybercab's software interface closely mirrors the design language found in the current Model 3 and Model Y. Tesla appears to have built the Cybercab on the same underlying codebase as its existing vehicle lineup, adapting established menus rather than starting from scratch. For owners who've spent time in a recent Tesla, the learning curve for passengers should be minimal — which is exactly what a robotaxi service needs at scale.
3. There's a 'Pedals & Steering' Menu — in a Car With Neither
Here's where it gets interesting. Early software screenshots show a 'Pedals & Steering' menu and a 'Fold Mirrors' button — despite the Cybercab having no physical pedals, no steering wheel, and no traditional side mirrors. The most likely explanation: these are diagnostic or configuration menus inherited from the shared codebase, or they relate to managing the camera-based vision systems that replace conventional mirrors. Either way, it's a candid reminder that the Cybercab's software is still being refined ahead of commercial launch.
4. A Dedicated Self-Driving Menu Is Front and Center
A 'Self-Driving' menu is clearly present within the UI, consistent with the Cybercab's core purpose as an unsupervised FSD platform. The vehicle is designed to run on FSD version 12.5, Tesla's most capable autonomous driving software to date. Having a dedicated menu for self-driving functions — rather than burying it in settings — signals that Tesla is designing the passenger experience around the autonomy stack, not treating it as an add-on. For more on how FSD is evolving, see our FSD coverage.
5. The 'Factory Sentinel' Watermark Confirms This Is Pre-Production
The screenshots carry a visible 'Factory Sentinel' watermark, which indicates the images originate from an early production unit running factory-stage software — not a finalized consumer build. That context matters: some of the quirks visible in the UI (the phantom pedals menu, unfinished menu structures) are expected artifacts of a pre-production build. The final passenger-facing software will almost certainly be cleaned up before commercial rollout. But the core architecture — 21-inch display, familiar Tesla UI, dedicated autonomy menus — appears locked in.
What these screenshots collectively suggest is that Tesla is prioritizing speed-to-market by leveraging its existing software stack rather than engineering a bespoke robotaxi OS from the ground up. That's a pragmatic call. The bigger question is how the passenger experience gets differentiated from simply 'a Tesla without a steering wheel' — and whether that 21-inch screen will do enough of the heavy lifting when paying riders are in the back seat.
Marcus covers Tesla's software releases, FSD rollouts, and OTA changes. Background in automotive engineering. Based in Austin.
Sources verified at publish time. Spotted an inaccuracy? Email editorial@basenor.com.
