Los Angeles: Elon Musk unveiled Tesla’s latest innovations, including a robotaxi with futuristic gull-wing doors and no steering wheel or pedals, at a high-profile event in Los Angeles. The event marked a significant shift for Tesla, as the company transitions from a mass-market automaker to a leading robotics manufacturer.
Musk arrived on stage in a “Cybercab,” a fully autonomous electric vehicle set to enter production in 2026, with a price tag under $30,000. Musk also emphasised the low operational cost of the vehicle, projecting that over time it will cost just 20 cents per mile to operate.
The Cybercab, like other Tesla vehicles, will feature inductive charging, eliminating the need for physical plugs. The vehicles rely entirely on artificial intelligence (AI) and camera systems for navigation, foregoing the use of more complex hardware like radar or LiDAR, which many of Tesla’s robotaxi competitors rely on. This approach has raised concerns among investors and analysts, who see it as a technical and regulatory challenge.
Robotaxi is premium point-to-point electric transport, accessible to everyone pic.twitter.com/oLykwaaTHm
— Tesla (@Tesla) October 11, 2024
“The autonomous future is here,” Musk declared, as he introduced a fleet of 50 fully autonomous vehicles at the event, including Tesla’s Model Y and the Cybercab, all operating without drivers.
In addition to the robotaxi, Musk showcased the Robovan-a larger, self-driving vehicle capable of transporting up to 20 passengers. Tesla’s humanoid robot, Optimus, also made an appearance, highlighting Musk’s broader vision of Tesla as an artificial intelligence and robotics company, rather than just an automaker.
Tesla’s long-term plan is to operate a fleet of self-driving taxis, which users can access through an app. Additionally, Tesla owners will have the option to list their vehicles as robotaxis on the platform, allowing them to generate income.
The event, held at Warner Bros. Studios in California and titled “We, Robot,” seemed to reference Isaac Asimov’s “I, Robot” stories while underscoring Musk’s ambition to position Tesla at the forefront of AI-driven robotics.
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