Here are the 3 big announcements from Tesla: Robotaxi, Robovan and Optimus

This morning, very early in France, after a considerable delay which pissed off more than one spectator (and journalist), Elon Musk finally took the stage to present Tesla’s latest innovations.

As usual, the CEO delivered a disjointed speech, juggling jokes, bold promises and sometimes nebulous technical details. Despite everything, three major announcements emerged from this chaotic presentation.

Notably absent from the conference: any mention of the Model 2, Tesla’s long-awaited affordable electric car, leaving speculation rife about the future of this project.

The Robotaxi: total autonomy, but not yet

The star of the evening was undoubtedly Tesla’s Robotaxi. It’s called Cybercab. Note, however, that Tesla mentions “Robotaxi” on its site.

Imagine a vehicle without a steering wheel or pedals, capable of driving you independently while you lounge in the back. Elon Musk made a remarkable entrance upon arriving in this futuristic vehicle, declaring with his usual humor: “ There’s no steering wheel or pedals, so I hope it goes well. ».

The design of the Robotaxi is both minimalist and futuristic. Equipped with butterfly doors that open upwards, the vehicle has only two seats. The complete absence of a steering wheel visually reinforces the concept of complete autonomy, which marks a clear break with traditional cars.

On the technical side, the Robotaxi seems to be equipped with front projectors rather than traditional headlights. This feature could be linked to advanced autonomous driving features, such as projecting information onto the road or communicating with other vehicles and pedestrians.

Elon Musk also dropped some intriguing information: “it has no plug”. This claim raises questions about the inductive wireless charging system. This robotaxi only has two seats with a trunkit looks like what we would have expected from the Model 2, a futuristic-looking vehicle, much more compact than a Model 3. If you are traveling as a couple with a child, you will therefore need 2 taxis…

Elon Musk structured his speech around several key arguments in favor of autonomous vehicles:

1. Sustainability: Greater vehicle use could significantly reduce the number of cars needed, contributing to a more sustainable future.
2. Safety: Emphasis has been placed on the potential of self-driving cars to “save lives,” likely by reducing accidents due to human error.
3. Saving time: Elon Musk highlighted the benefits for passengers, who will be able to use their travel time to relax, sleep, work or entertain themselves, for example to watch films.

An interesting aspect of the Robotaxi service would be its flexibility. Elon Musk explained that once called, the vehicle would be available to the user for as long as needed, whether for short trips or for a whole day.

Additionally, unlike many autonomous vehicles in development, the Robotaxi will not use expensive equipment like radar or lidar. Instead, it relies solely on cameras for its Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology, an approach that Tesla has long championed.

The CEO of Tesla announced a price “less than $30,000” for the Robotaxi. And individuals will be able to buy it, not just businesses.

Elon Musk also said that Tesla predicted robotaxi rides would cost less than public transportation. He added that the average cost of operating the Cybercab would over time be around $0.20 per mile, which works out to $0.18 excluding VAT to travel 1 mile. To give you an idea, there are 30 km between CDG airport and the center of Paris… So, for 30 km, the price excluding tax would be 3.75 euros (4.5 euros including tax).

As for the release date, don’t hold your breath: production isn’t expected to begin until “2026…before 2027.” And knowing Tesla’s track record of meeting deadlines, it would be wise to take these dates with a grain of salt.

Elon Musk made a brief mention of the current Model 3 and Model Y in the context of autonomous driving. It said it plans to launch fully autonomous trips with the Model 3 and Model Y in Texas and California “next year.”

By the middle of next year, we will have over a million Tesla cars on the road with fully autonomous driving hardware, full functionality, at a level of reliability that we will consider no one to have need to pay attention to it, which means you will be able to fall asleep.

Elon Musk

Elon Musk has described a strategy similar to Uber or Airbnb, where Tesla owners will be able to add their vehicles to Tesla’s ride-sharing app to earn additional revenue when the cars are not in use, and Tesla will take 25-30% of revenue (similar to Apple’s App Store support rate).

To go further
Autonomous cars: what are the differences between the levels of autonomy?

Either way, if Tesla wants to commercialize Level 4 autonomous driving – meaning the vehicle can drive itself under certain conditions without needing a human to take over – it will need to prove safety. Tesla has been the subject of numerous federal investigations for fatal crashes that occurred while the Autopilot system, Tesla’s lower-level advanced driver assistance system, was in place.

The Robovan: Tesla tackles public transport

Elon Musk also unveiled the concept of “Robovan”. This autonomous vehicle, capable of transporting up to 20 people, looks more like a small bus or a wagon than a traditional car.

This announcement marks an interesting foray by Tesla into the field of autonomous public transportation. The Robovan could potentially revolutionize urban and intercity travel, providing a flexible alternative to traditional buses and ride-sharing services.

However, many questions remain unanswered. How will this vehicle fit into existing urban infrastructure? What regulatory challenges will Tesla have to overcome to put driverless public transportation vehicles into circulation? Unfortunately, Elon Musk’s disjointed speech did not provide these details.

Optimus: The robot who wants to be your friend

Finally, Elon Musk addressed the subject of Optimus, Tesla’s humanoid robot. According to him, Optimus will be “just your friend” and could become “the greatest product of all time”. Bold claims, certainly, but which raise many questions about the real capabilities of this robot.

To demonstrate Optimus’ capabilities, Tesla put his robots to work during the event, having them serve drinks to guests. A nice demonstration, but which remains far from the advanced capabilities promised by Elon Musk.

The CEO announced a potential price between $20,000 and $30,000 for Optimus. A price that seems surprisingly low for an advanced humanoid robot, especially when we know the cost of current industrial robots. But, very high for the general public.

Amusingly, Elon Musk asked guests to be “nice” to robots, a remark that raises questions about Optimus’ current robustness and reliability.

The challenge of reality versus promises

As is often the case with Tesla, these announcements raise as many questions as they provide answers. The company has certainly proven its ability to innovate in the past, but the technical, regulatory and ethical challenges linked to these new technologies are colossal. And Tesla has made a lot of promises along these lines in the past.

Fully autonomous driving, promised for years, is still not a reliable daily reality. Tesla’s current systems, while advanced, still require driver supervision. The transition to total autonomy, without steering wheel or pedals, represents a considerable technological leap.

Likewise, creating a versatile and affordable humanoid robot is a challenge that even robotics giants have yet to tackle. Today’s most advanced robots are either highly specialized or extremely expensive.