Tesla Model 3 with Odd Cameras Seen in U.S.

A Tesla Model 3 sporting extra cameras turned up on U.S. roads recently. People think it’s tied to the Cybercab robotaxi or new self-driving tech Tesla’s been cooking up. This could be a sneak peek at what Tesla’s planning for city travel.

It’s not the usual Model 3. There’s a camera stuck on the back window and another on the fender. Those spots match the camera setup on the Cybercab.

Is This About the Cybercab?

The Cybercab is a sharp-looking, two-door vehicle with no pedals or wheel. It’s Tesla’s big bet on a future where cars drive themselves. At the unveiling, Elon Musk said production starts in 2026, aiming for a price below $30,000.

He also promised Full Self-Driving (FSD) without supervision could hit Texas and California by 2025. Tesla’s been testing the Cybercab at its Texas Gigafactory since late 2024, with reports into early 2025 showing it in action.

Those tests often had a Model 3 tailing the Cybercab, loaded with cameras to grab data. This new Model 3 sighting hints Tesla’s taking that testing wider, maybe tweaking FSD or checking robotaxi hardware on public roads.

Wes Morrill, a Tesla engineer who often talks about the company’s moves, posted on X:

“Seeing a Model 3 with those camera placements outside of Giga Texas is a big deal. It could mean they’re stress-testing the Cybercab’s vision system in different environments or prepping for a broader rollout.”

Tesla’s Push for Self-Driving

Tesla’s banking hard on its FSD tech to lead the self-driving charge. As of March 2025, FSD’s at version 12.5.6, using just cameras and brain-like software, no radar or LIDAR. Musk calls it “pure vision.” The Cybercab builds on that, with a camera layout made for total autonomy, no human needed.

It seems Tesla’s using its top-selling car to fine-tune the system. They’ve done this before, modified Model S and X cars tested Autopilot gear years back.

Sam Korus from ARK Invest said on a podcast:

“The Cybercab isn’t just a concept – it’s a priority. Testing components on a Model 3 suggests they’re iterating quickly to meet Musk’s aggressive deadlines.”

Fans and Theories

Some say it’s a sign the robotaxi service is close. Others think Tesla’s collecting data for FSD in varied weather and traffic, maybe testing the Northeast’s tricky spring roads.

X user @TeslaNHFan wrote,

“Caught this weird Model 3 on I-93 today. Those cameras aren’t stock. Cybercab vibes?”

What’s Coming?

Tesla’s staying quiet about this Model 3 and what it’s for. That’s typical. They keep things hush until a big reveal. But the timing fits Musk’s Q1 2025 earnings call, where he said unsupervised FSD is “months, not years” away and the robotaxi’s on schedule.

If this Model 3 links to the Cybercab, Tesla might be nearer to rolling out its driverless fleet than we thought. They’ve got approval for limited FSD tests in several states already.