A real futuristic side. Tesla boss Elon Musk revealed this Thursday (during the night from Thursday to Friday French time) a new autonomous robotaxi – without a driver – entitled “Cybercab”, reports the Reuters agency. This one, which will have no steering wheel or pedal and which will operate thanks to artificial intelligence (AI) and cameras, is supposed to enter production “before 2027”. It should be marketed for a price below $30,000, Reuters continues. “The future of autonomy is here,” said Elon Musk during this presentation which took place in the Warner Bros studios (California). 50 units have already been manufactured.
According to Elon Musk, the operational cost should be around 20 cents per mile (1.6 km). It will not have an electrical outlet and will be recharged by induction. He wants the fleet of robot taxis to be able to be used via an application, like what already exists for classic VTCs.
10 to 20 times safer, says Musk
As reported by the Swiss media Le Temps, Elon Musk assured that his robotaxi was 10 to 20 times less risky than normal human driving. Conversely, he believes that it will be possible to sleep or work in the car. “Think of the cumulative time people spend in cars and the time they recover and can now devote to their books, a movie, their work or anything else,” said the billionaire, according to Le Time.
Tesla hopes to launch “completely autonomous, unsupervised” driving in Texas and California in 2025 with existing models, before starting “Cybercab” mass production. “I tend to be a little optimistic when it comes to timelines, but in 2026, so yes, before 2027. Let me put it like that,” continued the boss of the electric vehicle manufacturer.
A robovan also revealed
At the same time, Elon Musk revealed a larger autonomous vehicle capable of transporting up to twenty people: the robovan. It is a driverless bus, with a futuristic design and on which the wheels are not visible. He did not give a date or other details.
The billionaire also paraded dancing humanoid robots, called “Optimus”, ensuring that they would one day be capable of carrying out domestic tasks and maintaining friendly relationships, for a price of between $20,000 and $30,000. (18,300 to 27,500 euros).
Again, no timetable, and the capabilities of these robots were not clearly observable, although they chatted with visitors and did service.
