October 12, 2024
By Samuel Ogunsona
Elon Musk showcased its upcoming driverless taxi, the Cybercab, and a large shuttle van, the Robovan, at its “We, Robot” event held at Warner Bros. Discovery’s movie studio in Burbank, California.
Elon Musk kicked off the event by riding in the sleek, silver robotaxi, which features butterfly-style doors and lacks a steering wheel and pedals.
The vehicle relies on inductive charging, eliminating the need for plug-in charging.
Musk announced that Tesla has at least 20 Cybercabs and 50 fully autonomous vehicles, some of which were operating without human passengers at the event. He revealed plans to launch unsupervised fully autonomous vehicles, including the Model 3 and Model Y, in California and Texas next year.
The Cybercab is expected to enter production before 2027, with a price tag under $30,000.
Tesla also introduced the Robovan, a large shuttle van capable of seating up to 20 people.
Musk acknowledged his tendency to be optimistic with timelines, and the company’s history of delayed product releases. Tesla has faced scrutiny over the safety of its driver-assistance systems in the past.
According to Musk, the robotaxi service will have no driver fee, and customers can call the robotaxi for short or long-term use. The fully self-driving vehicles will use cameras alone, rather than radar or lidar equipment.
Tesla’s autonomous driving technology was on full display at the event, demonstrating the company’s progress in this area. However, questions remain about the safety features and the company’s approach to fully self-driving vehicles.
