Cybercab with its door open on display at a Tesla store | Image Credit: Maxim, UnsplashA Tesla Cybercab was photographed in Philadelphia with the entire outer panel of its driver-side door missing after a crash. The gold-colored vehicle was stopped on South Broad Street with its door frame and other wiring exposed. The window itself appears to have stayed intact.There is still little official information about the collision. The photos of the damaged Cybercab were posted by a Reddit user. The user did not see the crash, and the available images do not establish which vehicle caused it. There is no confirmed information about whether an automated driving system was operating at the time of the crash. There is no report of injuries.The Cybercab was left with its door panel completely missingThe damage to the Cybercab's outer body looked unusual in the photograph since the vehicle is built differently from a conventional car. Tesla uses molded plastic panels with the color incorporated into the material instead of being painted on the finished body.Tesla engineering chief Lars Moravy and design chief Franz von Holzhausen have previously gone on record to show how the system works. In an exclusive interview with Sandy Munro, they showed how the colored outer skin attaches to the door panel. In the event the outer panel takes a hit, the outer skin can potentially come off as a single piece.The photographs show that the outer panel was missing after the Philadelphia crash. The exposed door shows parts that are normally hidden behind the exterior, while the surrounding damage appears to have been limited. However, the picture cannot tell us whether the panel completely separated during the crash or the condition of the door's safety structure after the collision.The damage gives a glimpse into how Tesla's Cybercab was builtTesla's panel design could change how the Cybercab's body would need to be repaired. A conventionally painted metal door can leave a large dent that would require bodywork and repainting. However, a replaceable outer skin could allow the damaged panel to be replaced if the underlying structure remains usable.In the case of the Philadelphia Cybercab, the photographs show visible damage to the lower portion of the vehicle, possibly making the repair job harder. For now, no official inspection report has been released describing the complete extent of damage to the Cybercab.The exposed hardware also gives a rare view of the Cybercab exterior before it is repaired. The photos show the window regulator, wiring, and parts of the inner door structure. They provide a look at Tesla's production design, but not enough evidence to judge its overall crash performance.Cybercab's Philadelphia sighting does not mean the robotaxi is in serviceThe damaged vehicle follows weeks of Cybercab sightings in the Philadelphia area. Several gold Cybercabs have been previously photographed at Tesla's Devon location. Tesla has declined to explain what the vehicles were doing there.Pennsylvania requires PennDOT certification for highly automated vehicles. Tesla is not listed among the department's current certificate holders. Waymo is currently listed among the certificate holders authorized to operate in Philadelphia, with a highly automated vehicle driver on board.This crash does not establish that the Cybercab was being driven manually or that it was operating without a human driver present. Tesla has tested Cybercabs in Philadelphia, but the available information does not establish what driving system was active in this particular vehicle at the time of the crash.NHTSA's current rules require reporting for qualifying crashes involving automated driving systems, including certain property-damage-only incidents. A Level 2 ADAS vehicle crash involves different reporting triggers.For now, the clearest reporting on the Philadelphia crash is the photographs that show the Cybercab without its outer door skin. More official information from Tesla would be needed to gather the circumstances of the crash and the full extent of the damage.Sources: Electrek, The Philadelphia InquirerAffiliate links on Cult of Mac may earn us and our partners a commission.