Home Tesla unveils its Cybercab robotaxi, as Elon Musk promises affordable, fully autonomous future

Tesla unveils its Cybercab robotaxi, as Elon Musk promises affordable, fully autonomous future

TLDR

  • Tesla's new Cybercab robotaxi, costing under $30,000, has no steering wheel or pedals.
  • Elon Musk aims for self-driving in California and Texas by next year, with production by 2026.
  • Despite progress, Tesla lags behind Waymo and Cruise in driverless vehicle testing and safety.

Tesla has unveiled its new robotaxi, Cybercab, promising it will cost less than $30,000. During its “We, Robot” event at Warner Bros. Discovery’s studio, the company’s CEO, Elon Musk, announced plans to bring self-driving to its Model 3 and Model Y cars in California and Texas by next year.

The billionaire arrived in the Cybercab, which has no steering wheels or pedals, announcing that “there’s 20 more” where it came from. The robotaxi is a specially designed autonomous vehicle that will require regulatory approval before entering production.

Its futuristic design has upward-opening doors resembling butterfly wings and a compact cabin that accommodates only two passengers. Instead of a traditional charging plug, the vehicle recharges wirelessly through inductive charging, according to Musk.

How much is Tesla’s Robotaxi and when will it be available?

Musk stated that autonomous vehicles are projected to be 10 to 20 times safer than those driven by humans and could operate at a cost as low as $0.20 per mile, compared to the $1 per mile cost of city buses.

Tesla aims to introduce fully autonomous driving in Texas and California next year, with Cybercab production expected by 2026, though it may be delayed until 2027. He cautioned: “I tend to be a little optimistic with timeframes.” In addition, Tesla is working on the Optimus robot, which could be priced between $20,000 and $30,000 and is designed to handle various tasks.

“This is a very big deal,” Musk remarked. “It’ll save lives, a lot of lives, and prevent injuries.”

He declared: “I think this will be the biggest product ever, of any kind.”

Musk envisions a future with autonomous vehicles where parking lots could be transformed into parks, and passengers can relax, fall asleep, or watch a movie in a “comfortable little lounge” while being transported to their destination.

“Think about the cumulative time that people spend in a car,” he said, “and the time they will get back that they can now spend on their books or watching a movie or doing work or whatever.”

He explained that autonomous cars could serve as Uber-like taxis when not in use by their owners, allowing people to establish fleets of vehicles to compete with ride-share companies, describing it as “a shepherd with a flock of cars.”

“It’s going to be a glorious future,” Musk said.

Near the end of his roughly 23-minute presentation, the CEO mentioned that Tesla wanted to demonstrate its humanoid robot, Optimus, currently in development, to prove it wasn’t just for a “canned video.”

Tesla still lagging behind self-driving taxis

Despite its advancements, Tesla is trailing companies like Waymo and Cruise, both of which have accumulated millions of miles of on-road testing with their driverless vehicles. Waymo, which is owned by Alphabet, was given an extra $5 billion in July.

The rollout of Robotaxis has been challenging, with incidents such as blocked vehicles, traffic jams, and a few injuries. Federal safety regulators are currently investigating several leading companies to determine whether the technology behind these autonomous vehicles is safe or may need to be recalled.

Featured image: Tesla

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Suswati Basu
Tech journalist

Suswati Basu is a multilingual, award-winning editor and the founder of the intersectional literature channel, How To Be Books. She was shortlisted for the Guardian Mary Stott Prize and longlisted for the Guardian International Development Journalism Award. With 18 years of experience in the media industry, Suswati has held significant roles such as head of audience and deputy editor for NationalWorld news, digital editor for Channel 4 News and ITV News. She has also contributed to the Guardian and received training at the BBC As an audience, trends, and SEO specialist, she has participated in panel events alongside Google. Her…

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