Elon Musk introduced what he described as a self-driving robotaxi on Thursday, saying that it will be available by 2027, over a decade after he initially promised an autonomous car.
The Tesla CEO stated that the entirely electric car, which lacks a steering wheel or pedals, will cost less than $30,000, be charged wirelessly using inductive technology, and be “10 to 20 times safer” than human-driven vehicles.
“You can think of the car in an autonomous world as being like just a little lounge,” he told a crowd at the Warner Brothers Studio lot near Los Angeles.
“You’re just sitting in a comfortable little lounge, and you can do whatever you want while you’re in this comfortable little lounge, and when you get out, you will be at your destination.”
Few details were given about the vehicle, whose gullwing doors are reminiscent of the Delorean made famous by the “Back to the Future” films, but Musk said Tesla already had 50 of them.
He said the company was expecting to begin “fully autonomous, unsupervised” driving in Texas and California next year with existing models, and then move on to production of what he called the “cybercab”.
“I tend to be a little optimistic with time frames, but in 2026, so yeah, before 2027. Let me put it that way.”
Robovan and Optimus robot
The event, which began over an hour late, was heavy on optimistic ideas of the future but short on specifics.
However, Musk unveiled a mass-market passenger car known as “The Robovan.”
The vehicle, which resembles a massive moving toaster, has no steering wheel, pedals, or driver.
According to Musk, it can seat up to 20 people or be turned into a cargo vehicle.
He provided no information on production or a schedule.
Musk also unveiled dancing humanoid robots known as Optimus, which he claimed would one day be able to perform mundane duties while also offering friendship.
“I think this will be the biggest product ever of any kind,” he said, expecting the robot to cost between $20,000 and $30,000.
He also did not provide a schedule for this, and the broadcast did not reveal the robot’s capabilities, despite the fact that it was shown roaming among audience members, handing out certificates and serving refreshments.Trump
Musk’s optimistic statements and devoted fan following have helped transform Tesla into one of the world’s most valuable firms.
While he was once adored by the political left for his environmentalist efforts to electrify transportation, he has grown increasingly divisive.
Since purchasing Twitter, which he renamed X, the free speech absolutist has reduced employment on the network, prompting many long-time users and advertisers to flee the forum.
And he’s currently spending time and money to promote Republican Donald Trump, echoing the billionaire presidential candidate’s apocalyptic warnings about migrants and a collapsing America, including an ecstatic appearance at a widely criticized Trump event over the weekend.
Thursday night’s robotaxi revelation had been a long time coming.
Musk first stated in 2016 that a completely automated automobile would be available in two years; a year later, he touted a vehicle so advanced that users would be able to sleep as it drove them around.
However, as many automakers have discovered, self-driving is challenging.
While many automobiles presently have some automation, supposedly allowing the driver to delegate some of the tedious aspects of driving to an onboard computer, the person behind the wheel must still pay attention and intervene if the car does something unexpected.
That’s because, unlike humans, computers aren’t very effective at responding to unexpected occurrences or situations they’ve never encountered before.
Other businesses, such as Google’s Waymo and General Motors’ Cruise, have been running strictly regulated and limited trial robotaxi programs for several years.
Anything Tesla seeks to put on the road will face the same kinds of regulatory challenges, as well as distrust from the general public, many of whom have never seen a driverless car.
Immediate reaction to the reveals was mixed.
“Delusional nonsense from a liar who has been promising a robotaxi every year for a decade,” wrote user @goodandnormal on X.
Others on the platform were more enthusiastic, with some predicting that Tesla’s share price will soar when US markets open.
“Tesla self-driving ‘Robovan.’ The future looks promising,” wrote @CollinsEbot1.