Tesla’s autonomous taxi Cybercab has quickly gained attention after being unveiled in Austin, Texas, on the 3rd. The Tesla Robotaxi ride-hailing app ranked first in downloads during the past week in the U.S. iPhone App Store’s travel category, ahead of Uber and Lyft, according to IT industry sources on the 8th. Test-vehicle sightings and ride-review videos have also spread online. The early momentum has heightened pressure on Uber, which announced plans last week to eliminate 3,300 jobs, or 10% of its workforce, citing management efficiency. Morningstar said a "Cybercab moment" is coming, comparing autonomous taxis’ potential impact with the earlier disruption caused by Uber. Uber shares declined 3.8% over the past five trading days. The company previously operated an autonomous-driving division from 2015 before selling it in 2020 under earnings pressure. It later pursued partnerships with developers including Waymo, but Waymo became independent without renewing its contract. Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said in an August earnings call that the company would invest more than $10 billion to commercialize autonomous-driving services. Tesla is pursuing a vertically integrated robotaxi model covering vehicles, software and the ride-hailing platform, while Uber is positioning itself as a marketplace for vehicles from multiple developers. Uber’s partners include Waymo, Zoox, Apollo Go and Avride. Uber has also sought cooperation with taxi unions, including 32BJ, supporting rules for autonomous taxis and a hybrid network that combines autonomous vehicles with human drivers. The central strategic question is whether Tesla can scale Cybercab production enough to reduce costs or whether Uber’s asset-light platform will prove more durable.