It is expected that Cybercab will be available below $30,000 and will operate on the road by 2027.
Elon Musk’s Tesla has finally unveiled the much-awaited self-driving Robotaxi. Amid several reports and assurances about driverless cars, experts say Tesla has now created a benchmark in the global automotive market. At an event in the US, the autonomous ‘Cybercab’ model was showcased along with a massive 20-seater autonomous van dubbed Robovan.
According to Tesla’s spokesperson, both the vehicles will run on the roads backed by artificial intelligence and cameras rather than mapping software and lidar sensors. Both vehicles appear without steering wheels but are furnished with wireless charging. It was also revealed that the company had 21 specialized vehicles and a total of 50 “autonomous” cars on-site at Warner Bros. Speaking about the launch date and the price tags, the company is yet to announce the official launch date, but it is expected that Cybercab will be available below $30,000.
Elon Musk’s statement at the “We Robot” event in California highlights his vision for the future of autonomous vehicles. By referencing how people can reclaim time spent driving, Musk is promoting the idea that self-driving cars will transform how individuals use their commute. Instead of actively driving, passengers can engage in activities like reading, watching movies, working, or relaxing, turning travel time into productive or leisure time. This aligns with Tesla’s broader ambition to revolutionize transportation with autonomous technology.
On the other hand, Tesla is also expected to unleash ‘unsupervised FSD’ in all its upcoming electric cars, such as Model 3 and Model Y. The Full Self-Driving (FSD) is, until now, the premium driver assistance service by the company, which is available in all the supervised versions of Tesla cars. The Cybercab’s cockpit embraces a minimalist design coupled with two seats, two cup holders, an armrest, and a large central touchscreen; the interior focuses on simplicity and functionality. The absence of a rear window is a bold design choice.
Interestingly, Musk wants both Robovan and Cybercab to also operate ride-sharing services like Bolt and Uber, where owners of the vehicles can put them on rent. The point is that Tesla’s competitors, such as Waymo, Cruise, and Deeproute.ai, are already running driverless taxi services in multiple cities globally, demonstrating significant progress in autonomous vehicle technology. However, these vehicles need to achieve level five autonomy, the ultimate goal where a car can drive itself without human intervention.
