Tesla introduced a robotaxi called Cybercab during the “We, Robot” event at the Warner Bros. studios. Discovery in California, six months after Elon Musk revealed that the company intended to launch one. Musk rode onto the stage in a cybertaxi, which has no steering wheels or pedals, announcing that there were “20 more of them where he came from.” He talked about how our current means of transportation “suck” and that cars are always on standby. In his opinion, an autonomous car could be used more often. “With autonomy, you will regain your time… Autonomous cars will become 10 times safer.”
He said that the costs of autonomous transport will be so low that they will be comparable to public transport. Over time, he determined that the cost of operating a robotaxi would be 20 cents per mile, or 30-40 cents with taxes. He confirmed to the audience that people would be able to buy it and that Tesla expected to sell the Cybercab for less than $30,000. He even imagines a future where people own several vehicles and manage their fleet like a “shepherd,” so they can make money through ride-sharing networks. When asked when the model will be available, he said Tesla will start by making fully autonomous, unattended driving available in Full Sell Driving mode in the Model 3 and Model Y in Texas and California. Musk said the Cybercab is expected to go into production before 2027, but admitted he was “highly optimistic about the time frame.” And he actually does it – back in 2019, he said that within a year, Tesla “will have over a million robots on the road.”
Talking about Cybercaba's technology, he said it uses artificial intelligence and vision. Tesla has long abandoned radars and sensors that are widely used by other robots such as Waymo. For this reason, he said he doesn't need expensive equipment and Tesla can keep production costs low. It's worth noting that the Cybercab doesn't come with a charging port and instead uses inductive charging.
Reuters reported in April, Musk ordered the company to “put everything into” robotics built on a small vehicle platform. Musk had previously said the model would be unveiled on August 8, but later announced that the company's Robotxi event would be pushed back to October after he requested a “major front-end design change.” The delay would also give the company additional time to “show a few other things,” he explained. The Cybertaxi that Tesla unveiled to the public today is all silver and appears to be based on the design of the Cybertruck. There is no rear window and the doors open upwards.
In addition to reporting the existence of robotaxi, Reuters revealed in April that Tesla had abandoned plans for an affordable $25,000 electric vehicle. While Musk called it a lie, another report by Electric supported Reuters' and cited “sources familiar with the matter” who reportedly told the publication that work on low-cost electric vehicles has been postponed.
After talking about Cybercab, Musk briefly introduced Robovan, an autonomous van that can carry up to 20 people and carry goods. He added that this would reduce travel costs even further as it would be possible to transport large groups such as sports teams. Finally, Musk organized a parade of Tesla's Optimus humanoid robots. Musk said that Tesla has made huge strides in development over the past year and that in the future it could teach your children, mow your lawn and even become your friend. He believes Tesla could sell its Optimus robots, which mingled with the audience and served drinks during the event, for between $20,000 and $30,000.
