On Thursday, Tesla CEO and noted fancy reaper Elon Musk is scheduled to take to the stage to unveil the company’s robotaxi plans, which are similar to CyberCabs. While the vehicles we see aren’t expected to be fully functional products, investors and Tesla fans are eager to see working prototypes and the technical and regulatory hurdles the company will face. I’m hoping for other signs that I can get over it. You can watch the event on X Livestream at 10pm ET.
With CyberCab, Musk aims to create a fully self-driving car that runs on Tesla’s ride-sharing network. Owners will reportedly also be able to make their cars available on the network and run them as self-driving taxis, likened to “a combination of Airbnb and Uber.”
CEOs started talking about robotaxi plans years ago. But it took on added significance earlier this year when Tesla was reported to have shelved plans for an entry-level EV (often referred to as the “Model 2”) in favor of self-driving ride-sharing projects. .
Unlike competitors Waymo, Cruise, and Zoox, Tesla’s current automation relies on cameras and AI. Reuters notes that Musk will aim to improve technology quickly enough to “break through” highly regulated industries. No matter what is promised at the event, you might want to take the CEO’s promise with a grain of salt (unless you’re Cybertruckloads). In April 2019, Musk said, “Fast forward a year, maybe a year (and) three months, and we’ll have over a million robotaxis on the road.”
Here we are in 2024, which you may have noticed is not actually 2020, but Tesla doesn’t have a single robotaxi on the road.
Wired reported that the company does not have a home rule permit in California and has reportedly not contacted the state’s AV regulators about testing. Waymo, Zoox, the embattled Cruise, and Apple (now out of the self-driving car business) have logged thousands of miles testing self-driving cars in the Golden State. Waymo is currently the only company in the United States operating robotaxis commercially.
Tune in to our livestream to see what Mask and company have in store for you on Thursdays at 10pm ET/7pm ET.
