Iowa City Cybercab Fleet
We are building a locally owned fleet to run Tesla Cybercabs in Iowa City and nearby towns once Tesla opens its network to outside owners, and we are inviting founding investors to join us.
From the founder
Before this company, Julian West tested Tesla Full Self-Driving on his YouTube channel, FSD Finding the Edge, and he has been doing that since 2023. He is now building the fleet that would run Tesla’s Cybercabs in the city where he lives.
Watch on YouTube (opens in a new tab)I have practiced law in Iowa City for about 15 years, including jury trials, workers’ compensation, and real estate, and I earned my law degree with distinction from the University of Iowa. I am ready to take on a project like this.
His law practice is separate, and nothing here is legal advice.
julianwestlaw.com (opens in a new tab)The day-to-day work would be done here: cleaning the cars, coordinating charging, and keeping them maintained. This is not a ride-hail app, and Tesla has not endorsed this company.
We are still planning. The fleet is not operating today, because Tesla has not yet opened fleet ownership to outside companies.
News
Public reports and filings about Cybercab, with a source on each item. These notes are not a forecast, and they are not a promise of vehicles or returns.
Upcoming
Tesla’s sworn response to NHTSA’s Special Order in the AQ26002 Cybercab review is due October 30, 2026. NHTSA granted a 30-day extension on September 29.
Tesla's @robotaxi account said a larger Houston service area is live. Houston Public Media reports riders can now hail Cybercabs and Model Ys across much of the 610 Loop and northwest Houston, but the northeast Loop is still outside the map.
In a Munro Live factory tour shared by Tesla's @robotaxi account, Tesla VP Lars Moravy said the Cybercab line doesn't run every day because production is outpacing deployment, and that every Cybercab built so far has gone into Tesla's own fleet.
SourcesRobotaxi on X (opens in a new tab)Teslarati (opens in a new tab)
NHTSA proposes changing the FMVSS 108 lighting standard for cars without manual controls, which would relax manual turn-signal, hazard, and some dashboard-light requirements for those cars and allow optional cyan lights showing a car is driving itself. It is only a proposal, and comments are due November 25, 2026.
A third-party count of the Texas DMV driverless list (Robotaxi Tracker) shows 938 Tesla vehicles, up from 803 on October 16, including 80 Cybercabs added October 23 and 24. It is not an official Tesla figure.
Tesla says it aims to start getting Cybercabs to customers by the end of 2026, but it has published no buyer criteria, price, or revenue share. On the Q3 call, Musk said most Cybercabs will be Tesla-owned and run as a transport service.
SourcesTechCrunch (opens in a new tab)Q3 2026 call transcript (opens in a new tab)
Tesla expects Dallas to be the next Cybercab market, with a launch expected in November 2026.
01 — The investment
These figures show how a small fleet in Iowa City and nearby towns could be owned if we raise money and every slot is taken. They are an illustration, and the documents prepared by counsel would control any real terms.
Starter fleet
5–10
We are planning a starter fleet of 5 to 10 Cybercabs for Iowa City and the nearby towns. That range is our own figure, not a number Tesla has given us.
The example we use
8 Cybercabs
Eight Cybercabs is the example we use inside that range of 5 to 10. Tesla has not confirmed that we would receive any vehicles.
Who could invest
Accredited investors
If we raise money, it would be limited to accredited investors, on a path meant to follow Rule 506(c), with verification beyond a checkbox, and only after securities counsel approves it.
An illustration, not a term sheet
| Item | Illustration | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Investor slots | 6 × $50,000 | Six people would each put in $50,000, which is $300,000 in total, if the raise goes ahead and every slot is filled. |
| Equity per slot | 7% | Each slot would be 7% of the company, so six filled slots would be 42% for investors. |
| Founder | ~58% | The founder would keep about 58% after a round in which all six slots are filled, and would still hold the majority. |
| Preferred return | 7% preferred return | Investors would stand first in line for a 7% preferred return on distributions. That return is not guaranteed, and it would be paid only if the company has money to distribute after it is operating. |
Six investor slots at $50,000 each would be $300,000. At 7% equity per slot, investors would hold 42% and the founder would hold about 58% after the round. The 7% preferred return would apply only to money the company is able to distribute after it is operating, and it is not guaranteed. We are not stating an IRR, a utilization rate, or a per-mile figure.
In plain language
02 — The plan
If Tesla eventually lets outside companies own fleets, Iowa City will still need a person on the ground. That is the company we are building, and we want to be plain about what we cannot do yet.
01
The work is keeping the vehicles ready: cleaning them, coordinating charging, and lining up maintenance. You would own a share of a fleet that is run locally, rather than having to operate a Cybercab yourself.
02
We would run this for Iowa City’s campus and downtown, and for the short trips, event nights, and late hours that define Coralville and a college town. It would not be managed from a screen in another state.
03
This is not a ride-hail app, and we are not claiming a partnership with Tesla. The plan is to put professionally cared-for vehicles on Tesla’s network if and when Tesla lets outside fleet owners take part. Those terms are not open yet.
04
We are looking along Highway 1, Interstate 80, and Highway 6, where industrial buildings could serve as a depot. MidAmerican Energy is the local utility. Public chargers would only be a temporary bridge, and there is no Tesla Service Center in town. We do not have a site under contract, and we do not have permits.
03 — Why Iowa City
Iowa City is a compact university city, and the campus already publishes how students get around. The numbers below are public facts. They are not a guess at the size of the market, not a prediction of how often the cars would be busy, and not a revenue projection.
Nite Ride ridership was reported up roughly 90% from the year before in that Fall 2025 window. That says something about late-night demand on campus. It is not a number we are using to project earnings.
~123,342
People in the launch area
Iowa City, Coralville, North Liberty, and University Heights. U.S. Census Bureau, July 2025 estimates.
~76,229
People in Iowa City
U.S. Census Bureau, July 2025 estimate.
9,313
Hawk Voucher and Uber trips
University of Iowa, Spring 2025, among 2,710 students.
10,434
Nite Ride and Hawk Voucher rides
University of Iowa, Fall 2025, reported through November 5.
04 — Founder
Julian West
Founder
Julian West grew up in Iowa and practices law in Iowa City, and he has followed Tesla’s path to autonomy up close for years. He is building Iowa City Cybercab Fleet so that when Tesla opens its network to outside fleet owners, the city has an operator who lives and works here.
He grew up in Decorah, graduated from Grinnell College, and earned his law degree with distinction from the University of Iowa College of Law. He practices law in Iowa City.
He has practiced for about 15 years, from jury trials to workers’ compensation to real estate, including title work and purchase agreements. A fleet company lives on contracts, insurance, local rules, and investor paperwork, and that work is familiar ground for him.
Over three years ago he ran FSD Finding the Edge (opens in a new tab) on YouTube, and he has been testing Tesla Full Self-Driving there since 2023. The channel is linked at the top of this page.
He has owned Tesla shares for years because he believes in the company’s plan for autonomy, and this fleet is how he puts that belief to work in Iowa City.
His law practice is separate, and nothing here is legal advice.
05 — Protections
If we offer securities later, the offering would be limited to accredited investors, on a path approved by counsel that is meant to follow Rule 506(c), with verification beyond a checkbox. This site is not a solicitation, a prospectus, or a commitment to sell securities.
Everything here is a sketch of the plan. Counsel can change the terms, and the final documents would replace what you read on this site.
If a placement is written up later, investor funds would be intended to move through the company’s counsel trust account and to be released only when the closing conditions in those documents are met, including the ability to order the first Cybercab fleet under Tesla’s program terms. If those conditions are not met, the remaining funds would be returned as the documents provide.
Tesla’s Cybercab and Robotaxi timing in Austin, around September 2026, is useful industry context. It is not a launch date for Iowa, and it is not a date when this company starts operating. For Tesla’s expected Dallas timing, see Latest News.
NHTSA’s review of Cybercab certification, filed as AQ26002, may delay or prevent operations. NHTSA has begun proposing rule changes for cars without manual controls (the FMVSS 108 proposal), while AQ26002 is still open. It matters for timing and for how large a fleet could become. We are not describing it as a stop order, and it is not a local permit. The October 30 response date is in Latest News.
Tesla has published ways for people to register interest. As of October 2026, Tesla has not defined or opened terms for outside Cybercab fleet owners. Tesla says it is trying to get Cybercabs to customers by the end of 2026, but it has published no buyer criteria, price, or revenue share. Tesla has not endorsed this company.
Any future operations would depend on Tesla’s program terms, federal safety outcomes, and the rules that apply in Iowa and locally. We do not have permits, we do not have a depot lease, and we have no authority to operate a robotaxi fleet today.
06 — Contact
If you want news about the fleet as it takes shape, use the form on the left. That list is not an invitation to invest. If you are an accredited investor and you want information, use the form on the right. Asking for information is not an offer and not a commitment. You can also write contact@iowacitycyberfleet.com.
