At Tesla’s “We, Robot” event tonight in Los Angeles, California, CEO Elon Musk introduced the company’s latest innovations in autonomous driving: the Robotaxi and the versatile Robovan (via Tesla North).
Held at Warner Bros. Studios, the event featured 20 futuristic “CyberCab” prototypes and a fleet of 50 driverless Teslas, including the Model 3, Model Y, and CyberCab—all operating without steering wheels or pedals.
The doors are gull-wing style and seat two people. The back looks like a Cybertruck design, while the front resembles a cross between the new Model 3 refresh and Cybertruck headlights.
Musk explained that these new models are designed to be a more sustainable, safe, and affordable solution to today’s transportation challenges. “Traditional cars spend most of their time parked, and the cost of owning and operating them is too high,” Musk said. “With our fully autonomous vehicles, you get more value, lower costs, and increased safety.”
Robotaxi pic.twitter.com/zVJ9v9yXNr
— Tesla (@Tesla) October 11, 2024
The “CyberCab” Robotaxi, which will be priced under $30,000 USD ($41,000 CAD roughly), aims to provide a point-to-point transport service that anyone can access. With no driver fees or need for costly equipment like radar or lidar, the Robotaxi relies on Tesla’s camera-based Full Self-Driving (FSD) system. Musk also suggested someone in the future could manage a fleet of these and make passive income.
Musk noted that operating costs for the Robotaxi could drop to as low as 20 cents per mile, making it an economical option for daily use.
Tesla also introduced the Robovan, a multi-purpose vehicle that can be customized for a variety of needs, whether as a school bus, cargo van, or even an RV. The Robovan seats up to 20 passengers and is designed to support both personal and commercial applications, allowing for fewer vehicles on the road and more efficient use. It looks like a van out of the Jetsons.
Musk discussed the future rollout of the company’s unsupervised FSD technology, which is expected to start in Texas and California by 2025 for Model 3 and Model Y. The CyberCab will follow with production beginning in 2026. But we know Musk’s lofty timelines and promises so it will be interesting if that timeline is on point or not. He did emphasize, “before 2027” as the start of production (which we assume is late 2026).
What’s your guess on when these will actually come to life? Some doubted the Cybertruck and that is actually being produced and sold.
These driverless cars are intended to operate continuously, maximizing the time they spend in use. “One vehicle could be on the road 168 hours a week instead of just 10,” Musk explained. “That’s a 5 to 10 times increase in value.”
Robovan seats 20 & can be adapted to commercial or personal use – school bus, RV, cargo pic.twitter.com/CtjEfcaoHI
— Tesla (@Tesla) October 11, 2024
The event also demonstrated how Tesla’s autonomous fleet uses billions of miles of real-world driving data collected from over 8 million vehicles to train its AI systems.
Tesla believes that its AI-driven vehicles will be 10 times safer than human drivers, thanks to their ability to react quickly and accurately to unpredictable road conditions.
Tesla envisions a future where these fully autonomous vehicles will reshape urban transportation, reduce emissions, and transform how people move. Existing huge parking lots can be transformed into parks. As Musk put it, “Autonomy is not just about driving a car—it’s about creating a new kind of transportation experience that’s safer, faster, and more affordable for everyone.”
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I guess Tesla do not plan to park these Robotaxi in a parking lot? Those doors swing out so far!
This event was a massive let down. The only surprise was the "Robovan" which made me think of the Tesla semi, in that it'll probably remain nearly non existent five years from now. We all knew a cybertaxi was coming and it looked pretty darn close to the leaks and renders we've already seen. Optimus is still a gimmick, with each one separated from people by four or five minders who nervously watched at all times to make sure it didn't topple over.
The key dependency in which all this is hinged, and was barely discussed, is the necessary advances of FSD, and right now Tesla is years behind its competitors with no clear indication if they can get their camera-only product to a safety level that allows it to go unsupervised. Right now a Tesla can go about 100 miles per safety critical intervention at best, while Waymo is in excess of 17,000 miles. Tesla has a great driver assist feature, but it's not getting rid of the driver any time soon. Waymo, who is getting rid of their app, to be exclusively available on Uber, will probably be in 30 to 40 cities by the time Tesla has any robo taxis permitted for use. And that doesn't even take into account other players who will be in the market by then.
Long story short, Tesla is way behind in this space.
Have you heard how is Musk pronouncing Robovan? Hilarious!
Have you heard how is Musk pronouncing Robovan? Ro-Bowen. Hilarious!