Image Credit: TeslaThe Tesla Cybercab service in Austin, Texas, seems to be going reasonably well as of now. They have been spotted out and about on social media, with one video even showing a Cybercab plowing through torrential rain. But they have to stop running at a certain time.When the service was first announced, Tesla had promised later operating hours and the potential for an overnight service. However, currently the service runs until 11 pm before the taxis park up and wait for the next day.It transpires that, as stated on X by Elon Musk himself, Tesla is worried that the Robotaxi service, using the Cybercabs, will run into things overnight. In particular, they don't want the taxis to run over people's pets, like a grey kitten, because they haven't been able to distinguish the animals from the color of the tarmac.Stopping an autonomous taxi service because it might run over your pets is certainly a new one. But the last thing Tesla wants is for someone to have lost their cat or dog because one of its vehicles couldn't decide whether it was part of the road or an actual animal in the way.What Did Musk Say About the Cybercabs?Robotaxi operating hours moved from 10pm to 11pm.The main thing we're trying to solve is making sure that we don't run over pets when they're hard to see at night. Literally trying to avoid grey kittens on grey tarmac in the dark.— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 3, 2026Right now, the Tesla Cybercab service runs until 11 pm. This is up from the 10 pm cutoff before, but it's still a long way off from the later hours that the company first promised. Musk confirmed in a post on X that it was to avoid hitting people's pets, as they are hard to see at night and the Cybercab might not realize what it is until it is too late."The main thing we're trying to solve is making sure that we don't run over pets when they're hard to see at night. Literally trying to avoid grey kittens on grey tarmac in the dark," he said. As visibility and contrast deteriorate after sunset, it becomes harder for the autonomous vehicles to determine what is in front of them. Dim or poorly lit roads can also affect what the cameras onboard the vehicles can capture.This begs the question as to whether Tesla should have used LiDAR in its autonomous driving systems. Musk isn't a fan of the system. He said it was "a fool's errand" in 2019, and added, "anyone relying on LiDAR is doomed." Musk believes that the advances made in artificial intelligence (AI) ensure cameras can perform effectively in dark conditions.How Other Countries Are Approaching Autonomous VehiclesImage Credit: TeslaWhile Tesla may have rejected LiDAR, other companies have not. For example, Waymo has combined 13 cameras with 14 LiDAR units and six radars in its driverless system. Rivian has said the sensor now costs just a few hundred dollars per vehicle. That goes against what Musk was saying: that LiDAR is too expensive to be worthwhile for anyone. But the fact that it has to stop running the taxis before midnight suggests LiDAR would help the Cybercabs run that little bit later.The technology is still facing scrutiny as well. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating over three million Tesla vehicles over full self-driving crashes that occurred in poor visibility. There is also an investigation going on as to whether the Cybercab can operate legally without pedals or a steering wheel.So while the technology has, to some degree, proven itself in Austin, Texas, it still isn't convincing everyone.If you want more stories like this, follow Guessing Headlights on Yahoo so you don't miss what's coming next.