Elon Musk unveils Tesla robot taxi

Tesla boss Elon Musk showed off the electric car maker's long-announced robot taxi. The futuristic “Robovan” was also shown.

Tesla boss Elon Musk is betting on robotaxis and self-driving buses to drive the electric carmaker's future. The vehicle, called the “Cybercab,” has two wing doors that open upward and looks like a coupe based on Tesla's best-selling Model 3.

Musk said Tesla expects to start producing the vehicles in 2026. At the same time, he admitted that he was too optimistic about the schedule. The “Cybercab” will also be available for purchase – the price in the US should be under $30,000 (including tax).

Tesla has only been able to show off prototypes, while rival Waymo has long offered a self-driving taxi service in the United States. Image: Tesla

First, self-driving software that requires no human intervention will appear on the roads of Texas and California next year in current Model 3 and Model Y vehicles. Earlier models with weaker hardware were clearly left empty-handed.

Robot taxis at Hollywood studios

A “cybertaxi” without a steering wheel delivered Musk to the event stage on the grounds of Warner Bros. Studios in Hollywood, Los Angeles. Because it's private property, Tesla doesn't need a permit from the Department of Transportation to host the event, which has weeks to prepare.

Musk also showed off a futuristic self-driving minibus called “Robovan” that can accommodate up to 20 people. The wedge-shaped front is somewhat reminiscent of early visions of the future of motorcycles. Musk said that “Robovan” can also transport cargo. There is no information yet on when the vehicle will be on the road.

Tesla's 20-passenger Robovan prototype. Image: Tesla

Tesla’s humanoid robot Optimus Prime was also unveiled, which Musk said will be “the largest product of any kind.” Everyone has at least one mechanical helper.

Medical emergencies at events

The event started nearly an hour late. Musk mentioned medical emergencies for those present.

In numerous movie scenes, Tesla provides a small fleet of “cybertaxi” to drive those in attendance. Analysts and Tesla influencers who have excessively praised the electric car company and its founder online (in order to drive up the stock price) were invited. Media representatives are not welcome.

For the event, Musk cut off his campaign support for Donald Trump, who hopes to return to the White House in November.

Musk has been making big promises since 2016

Since 2016, Musk has repeatedly announced that Tesla will soon achieve a breakthrough in the field of autonomous driving. A year later, he said, and in a few months, drivers will be able to sleep at the wheel. He also promised a few years ago that all Tesla owners would be able to make money by sending their cars to a robotaxi platform.

In fact, Tesla's “Autopilot”, even the advanced version that adds “full self-driving”, is currently just a driving assistance system. The driver always bears responsibility and must be ready to take action at any time. control.

Tesla drivers in the United States have been able to test the FSD version of “Autopilot” in beta for years. Recently, many people have reported that the software attempts to drive through intersections at red lights or exit the wrong lane. This is why the driver must constantly hold the steering wheel.

Robotaxis has joined Google sister company

There are already actual robotaxis, notably from Google's sister company Waymo. Their vehicles carry passengers more than 100,000 times a week in four U.S. cities, all without a driver behind the wheel. In San Francisco in particular, Waymo’s Jaguar electric vehicles have been converted into self-driving vehicles and become part of the cityscape. Robotaxi developers such as technology company Baidu have also made rapid progress in China.

Unlike Waymo and other robotaxi developers, Musk insists that self-driving cars can only be built using cameras, not more expensive lidar. Many industry experts doubt that such vehicles can collect enough information about road traffic.

Robotaxi replaces cheaper Model 2

Musk has delayed plans to develop cheaper Tesla models on a new robotaxi platform that would open up a larger market for the pioneer. Instead, Musk declared that Tesla's future lies in autonomous driving.

Tesla's once-rapid growth has slowed significantly in recent months. As a result, Tesla's stock price is well below its previous highs, when Tesla's market capitalization exceeded $1 trillion.

Musk is known for repeatedly igniting investors' imaginations with promises and visions for the future. The stock price means a lot to Musk: Tesla shares make up a large portion of his net worth, which financial services firm Bloomberg now estimates at more than $250 billion.

Tesla broadcasts live robot taxi event

Tesla's Robotaxi event starts in California at 7pm (local time) on Friday and in Switzerland at 4pm (CET) on Friday.

The Tesla event “We, the Robots” aired on the company's live channel on YouTube and Twitter.

(Sudan Democratic Union/Department of Political Affairs/Oli)

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