[imagesource:tesla/x]
After years of false promises and blown deadlines, Elon Musk finally unveiled Tesla’s new electric vehicle, the Cybercab, which is dedicated to self-driving vehicles, during the Tesla”We, Robot” event.
Musk showed off a prototype of the robotaxi, saying it will help propel Tesla to new heights.
The Cybercab is a ‘purpose-built autonomous vehicle’, which lacks a steering wheel or pedals, meaning it will need approval from regulators before going into production.
The futuristic design has doors that open upwards like butterfly wings with a tiny interior that can only accommodate two passengers. There was no steering wheel or pedals, nor was there a plug – Musk said the car used ‘inductive charging’ to restore power wirelessly.
While Elon had all the nerds in the room, he also unveiled the Robovan, a driverless vehicle designed to carry a larger group of people or items.
Musk said that autonomous cars are expected to be 10-20 times safer than human-driven vehicles and could cost as low as $0.20 per mile, compared to the $1 per mile for city buses.
Robotaxi & Robovan pic.twitter.com/pI2neyJBSL
— Tesla (@Tesla) October 11, 2024
The Robovan and Cybercab designs are heavy on a metallic, shiny sci-fi aesthetic of the future. Musk himself even referenced the classic science fiction movie “Blade Runner,” although he said he wanted his version of the coming years to be cheerier than that dystopian noir film.
Tesla plans to launch fully autonomous driving in Texas and California next year, with the Cybercab production by 2026 — although he said it could be as late as 2027.
During the event, Musk presented the concept of self-driving vehicles as largely a time-saver.
“Think about the cumulative time that people spend in a car,” he told me, “and the time they will get back that they can now spend on their books or watching a movie or doing work or whatever.”
[source:verge]
