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Highlights from Tesla's "We, Robot" Event

Mike Colagrossi

Elon Musk hosted Tesla’s highly anticipated “We, Robot” event last week, but left many questions unanswered. Here’s what we know so far:

  • The Cybercab or Robotaxi, is set to go into production between 2026 and 2027, the autonomous vehicle will be priced under $30,000, according to Musk.
  • Tesla also introduced the Robovan, an electric, autonomous vehicle the size of a bus, reflecting the company’s broader goals for integrating autonomous vehicles into the transit system.
  • Tesla recently trademarked the terms “Robobus” and “Robotaxi,” offering more clarity on the names of the vehicles, which remained unclear during the event.

Plenty of buzz, but the finer points are still to come.

Tesla’s Autonomous Future: Big Ideas, Few Details

CEO Elon Musk called it Tesla’s most significant milestone since the Model 3 in 2017. The Robotaxi’s design is reminiscent of the Model Y SUV, but is only a 2-seater, which has left some experts and investors confused.

“When you think of a cab, you think of something that’s going to carry more than two people,” said Jonathan Elfalan, vehicle testing director for the automotive website Edmunds.com. “Making this a two-seat-only car is very perplexing.” 

The vehicle will be part of Tesla’s autonomous shuttle service, competing with self-driving platforms like Waymo and Cruise, as well as ride-sharing services Uber and Lyft.

Regulatory Issues: Tesla will need regulatory approval from the California DMV to operate fully driverless vehicles on public roads, requiring proof that its vehicles can operate safely—something the company has yet to demonstrate. Additionally, producing a steering wheel-less Cybercab will require federal waivers, a process that could take months with no guaranteed outcome.

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