Image: Tesla
Musk anticipates that the fully autonomous cars will go into production by 2026 or 2027.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk finally unveiled a new self-driving robotaxi after years of delays.
At an event held at the Warner Bros film lot in California yesterday (10 October), Musk showcased his new ‘Cybercab’, a two-seater car with no steering wheel, pedals or a plug for charging – he said the vehicles charge inductively, meaning no need for wires.
“The autonomous future is here,” Musk said. “We have 50 fully autonomous cars here tonight. You’ll see model Ys and the Cybercab. All driverless.”
The model’s design however means that it would need prior approval from regulators before it can go into production, which Musk said would by 2026 or 2027, adding that the product would be priced at $30,000 or less. Achieving this point is an “extremely difficult” challenge, according to Forrester principal analyst Paul Miller.
“It will be extremely difficult for Tesla to offer a new vehicle at that price within that timescale.
“Without external subsidies, or Tesla making a loss on every vehicle, it doesn’t seem plausible to launch at anything close to that price this decade.”
Musk initially announced robotaxis in 2019, saying Tesla aimed to have more than 1m operational robotaxis by 2020. He has made similar promises in the years since.
Safety issues
At yesterday’s event, Musk claimed that autonomous cars are expected to be 10 to 20 times safer than human-driven vehicles. While research has shown that self-driving cars are safer under certain conditions, the cars’ sensors oftem struggle on turns, and at sunrise and sunset.
High-profile incidents with other self-driving carmakers have not eased people’s safety concerns. Earlier this year, GM-owned Cruise recalled nearly 1,200 robotaxis to resolve an investigation by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The regulator launched a probe into Cruise in 2022 after the company’s vehicles were involved in multiple rear-end crashes.
The Tesla robotaxi’s particular design, which doesn’t include a steering wheel, might complicate getting regulatory approval, Miller said. “Regulators around the world are approaching self-driving vehicles with extreme – and understandable – caution. Tesla’s vehicles, sensors and software will all need to be approved in any market they hope to enter.”
The world’s largest maker of electric vehicles has had a less than smooth ride with its cars. Late last year, the company sent a recall notice for 2m cars in the US to fix an “unsafe” autopilot software that could have presented an “increased risk of a crash”.
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