A Tesla Cybercab was involved in a traffic accident on South Broad Street in Philadelphia this week. Photos show the vehicle with its outer driver-side door panel completely detached, exposing the inner frame, window regulator, and wiring. The glass remained intact, and the underlying structure appeared undamaged.
The Cybercab features a design where colored plastic body panels are attached to a backing piece using fasteners. This construction allows for the replacement of individual panels without traditional body shop repairs involving painting. The vehicle also sustained minor damage to the rocker trim and rear quarter panel.
Tesla does not currently hold a permit from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to operate highly automated vehicles in the state. Only seven entities, including Waymo, possess the required certificate of compliance for SAE Level 3 operations or higher in Pennsylvania.
Since Tesla lacks the necessary permit, the vehicle was likely operated manually or using a Level 2 driver-assist system with a human driver. The incident's inclusion in federal NHTSA crash databases depends on whether the vehicle was using an automated driving system or a driver-assist feature at the time of the collision.
