Tesla Robotaxi Is a Driverless Car That Will Cost Under $30,000

  • The Tesla Robotaxi has been revealed, and it’s a driverless car with Cybertruck-like design details.
  • Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the Robotaxi (a.k.a. Cybercab) will cost less than $30,000, start production sometime in 2026, and have inductive (wireless) charging.
  • Tesla also revealed more details about its humanoid robot Optimus as well as the Robovan—a fully autonomous van.

Tesla has finally pulled back the veil on its long-awaited autonomous taxi. The Robotaxi, which Tesla CEO Elon Musk also called the “Cybercab,” was revealed Thursday night during a private event at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California.

Tesla has finally pulled back the veil on its long-awaited autonomous taxi. The Robotaxi, which Tesla CEO Elon Musk also called the “Cybercab,” was revealed Thursday night during a private event at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California.

Robotaxi (a.k.a. Cybercab) Revealed

Several years ago, when Musk shared his vision of the Robotaxi, he promised a fleet of self-driving taxis that would hit the streets sometime in 2020. The timeline for volume production eventually changed to 2024, with Musk also saying in 2022 that the Robotaxi would not have a steering wheel or pedals and would rely on Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) software. Well, we’ve now laid eyes on the thing, and it definitely doesn’t have a steering wheel or pedals. Instead, the driverless car features a dash similar to that on the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y, with a single screen sprouting from the center.


What’s especially interesting is that the Robotaxi is a two-door hatchback with only two seats, although photos show it has a large cargo area. There’s no rear window, either. Tesla’s design team also clearly took inspiration from the Cybertruck, with the Robotaxi featuring a similar aesthetic, namely its front and rear light bars. It also has a pair of exotic dihedral doors, and its wheels have giant disc-like covers. Surprisingly, Musk said the Robotaxi doesn’t have a traditional charging port, as it relies on inductive (wireless) charging.

Musk didn’t share any powertrain or range details about the Robotaxi during the event. However, he did say that it will start under $30,000 and that the plan is for production to start sometime in 2026—or “before 2027,” as he cheekily put it. “I tend to be a little optimistic with time frames,” he added.

While Musk didn’t explicitly mention the “Tesla Network” (a ride-hailing service that allows Tesla owners to add their cars to an autonomous fleet), he described a future where people could buy a fleet of Robotaxis and operate them in a way that’s similar to how Uber operates. Those who attended the event had the opportunity to take a ride in the Robotaxi, although the lines were extremely long and the route was just a trip around the Westworld film set where the reveal took place.

While all of the theatrics surrounding the Robotaxi’s reveal were exciting, the reality is that Tesla still needs to get regulatory approval for its autonomous system to be able to operate on public roads. That starts with getting its Full Self-Driving (Supervised) software to a stage where it can be unsupervised. Musk said he thinks that time will come as soon as next year on all of its updated models that operate in California and Texas. Of course, only time will tell.


 

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