Tesla's robotaxi Cybercab appears to have been involved in an incident in Philadelphia in the United States, with the entire outer skin of the left door seen detached.

Electrek reported on Oct. 7 that a photo posted online showed a Cybercab stopped on South Broad Street, about 1 mile (about 1.6 km) south of Philadelphia City Hall. The Reddit user who posted the photo said they did not see the moment of the incident and explained that it looked as if the left door panel had been torn off in a low-speed collision.

In the photo, the missing outer door skin leaves the internal frame, window mechanism and wiring exposed. The glass was not broken and no clear deformation was visible in the internal structure. The rocker trim beneath the door was dented and there were scratch marks on the rear quarter panel. A sedan was parked behind it, but whether it was involved, who was at fault, and whether there were injuries have not been confirmed.

The Cybercab's distinctive body structure also drew attention. Tesla applied plastic exterior panels that are colored during manufacturing instead of typical painted steel sheet. Company engineers have explained that the outer skin was designed to be removable using internal fastening. As a result, it is difficult to conclude a structural defect based on the outer skin separating as a single piece during an impact. If the damage is limited to the outer skin, it could be possible to replace the panel without bodywork and painting, but the photo also shows impact marks on the lower section, so the actual scope of repairs is unknown.

It has also not been confirmed whether the Cybercab was driving autonomously at the time. In Pennsylvania, state transportation department certification is required to test and operate highly automated vehicles at Level 3 or above, and Tesla is not currently on the list of certified operators. The vehicle therefore may have been driven by a person, or may have been using a Level 2 driver-assistance system in which the driver bears responsibility.

The driving mode also affects whether the incident must be reported to federal authorities. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration requires reporting for automated driving system vehicles even for certain levels of property-damage crashes, but for Level 2 systems it focuses reporting requirements on serious accidents, including fatalities, hospital transport, airbag deployment and collisions with vulnerable road users. Which category this incident falls under has not yet been confirmed.