Tesla launches a new tab CEO Elon Musk bet on a shift in focus from affordable mass-market automobiles to robotic vehicles on Thursday by showcasing a long-awaited robotaxi with two gull-wing doors, no steering wheel or pedals, and a surprise robotvan.
Musk arrived on stage in a “Cybercab” during a glamorized launch. This vehicle is expected to be manufactured starting in 2026 and sold for less than $30,000. He then gave a brief overview of the robovan, which can accommodate up to 20 passengers, but provided no further information.
But Musk, who has a track record of missing deadlines and admitted that he tended to be optimistic about them, did not specify how soon Tesla would be able to increase robotaxi production, get past regulatory obstacles that would inevitably arise, or put in place a strategy to outpace competitors like Alphabet’s (GOOGL.O), opens new tab Waymo.
Robotaxis establishment might take years, according to analysts and industry experts, especially because dependability and safety must be guaranteed. They cited incidents as well as the challenges the technology has when reacting to situations like bad weather, intricate crossroads, and pedestrian behavior.
However, Musk said that autonomous automobiles might be five to ten times longer and ten times safer than human drivers when speaking to crowds at the Warner Bros. studio outside of Los Angeles while sporting a leather jacket.
Musk declared, “The autonomous future is here.” “With autonomy, you get your time back.”
Musk has previously declared his intention to run a fleet of Tesla taxis that are capable of driving itself and that customers can summon via an app. He had stated that individual Tesla owners will also be able to profit from the app by designating their cars as robotaxis. During the event on Thursday, he did not bring up the app.
The event, called “We, Robot” in apparent reference to American science fiction writer Isaac Asimov’s “I, Robot” short tales, repeated Musk’s assertion that Tesla “should be thought of as an AI robotics company” as opposed to an automotive.
