Tesla Robotaxi Launch
Elon Musk introduced Tesla’s long-awaited robot taxi, nicknamed “Cybercab,” at an event themed “We, Robot,” an apparent homage to the 2004 classic film “I, Robot.” The billionaire indicated that production for Cybercab will begin in 2026, and that the upcoming robot taxi will cost less than $30,000.
This comes after Tesla fans were left waiting after the event was postponed. The internet livestream on the social media platform X (previously known as Twitter) attracted up to 3.3 million people.
The autonomous future is now…We have 50 totally autonomous vehicles here tonight. You’ll notice model Ys and the Cybercab. “All driverless.” Musk was quoted by Reuters.
Musk explained the importance of Cybercab, saying (via The Verge), “Think about the cumulative time that people spend in a car and the time they will get back that they can now spend on their books, watching a movie, doing work, or whatever.”
Musk’s electric taxi seats only two passengers and has no pedals or steering, making it a fully autonomous vehicle. The Robotaxi’s design is reminiscent of a science fiction novel, with two doors that lift upwards in a butterfly-like manner.
Musk stated that autonomous vehicles might be 10 to 20 times safer than human-driven automobiles while also costing much less. He calculated that the driverless automobile would cost approximately $0.20 per mile to operate, as opposed to $1 per mile for city buses.
Why is Tesla working on Cybercab?Â
Automation has been a core component of Elon Musk’s leadership, with the Tesla CEO repeatedly vowing to deliver a way to bring fully autonomous driverless automobiles to market. Tesla’s Robotaxi aims to take that concept one step further by providing taxi service through its own ride-hailing app. Musk has been discussing the ride-hailing industry since 2019, but there has been little development thus far.
