Tesla has filed two new names linked to its robotaxi project, Cybercar and Cybervehicle, submitting them just 37 seconds apart. The company completed the filings last Wednesday evening with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), shortly after a conference call during which Elon Musk publicly mentioned those exact names.
Tesla files two new robotaxi names after the “Cybercab” trademark mess
The most likely explanation is that Musk mentioned names during the call that still lacked legal protection, forcing Tesla’s legal team to act quickly and secure them before anyone else could do so. This time, however, Tesla managed to move fast enough and avoided repeating mistakes it had already made in the past.
Those past issues offer plenty of examples. In October 2024, Musk officially unveiled the Cybercab during a robotaxi-focused event, only to discover a few days later that another company, Unibev, had already registered the name in the vehicle category. Tesla filed its own application in November, but by then it was too late to claim priority.
The term Robotaxi also caused problems. The USPTO rejected it on the grounds that it was too generic to qualify as an exclusive trademark. During the same period, Cybercab also faced closer scrutiny, which ultimately prevented Tesla from freely using the name because Unibev had already secured the filing.
Given these missteps, the speed with which Tesla locked down Cybercar and Cybervehicle suggests the company is now paying much closer attention to legal details. One of these two names could therefore become the official designation for Tesla’s fully autonomous vehicle, previously known as the Cybercab. According to Musk, the model will enter production soon and reach what he described as “impressive” volumes.
