Elon Musk is taking Tesla’s next big reveal to the big screen—literally. Tesla is planning to unveil its highly anticipated Robotaxi at Warner Bros. Discovery’s movie studio in Burbank, CA, on October 10th, according to Bloomberg. The event was originally scheduled for August but was pushed back due to last-minute design changes.

Tesla’s Robotaxi has been long-awaited, and this event will offer a glimpse into its autonomous driving capabilities. Holding the reveal on a controlled movie set—complete with suburban landscapes and small-town streets—gives Tesla a chance to show off its tech in a risk-free environment without public road restrictions.

Setting the stage: Tesla’s big events usually happen at its own facilities, but using a film studio allows for a Hollywood-esque presentation that mimics real-world conditions in a closed setting. It’s a shift from its typical unveiling sites, like the Cybertruck event in Hawthorne or Tesla’s AI Day at its Palo Alto HQ.

• Tesla software hacker @greentheonly, known for analyzing the source code of Tesla’s software updates, reported on X that the company started gathering mapping data around the Warner Bros. movie studio a few days before the event report.
• As of September 5th, 2024, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has not responded to requests for comment, and a Warner Bros. spokesperson has not yet provided a statement.

Tesla’s autonomous vehicle competition, like Waymo and Cruise, also collect geographic data before deploying their robotaxis. These companies typically focus on making their systems operate within geofenced areas in cities. However, Tesla has long claimed its approach is different, relying on data from its fleet of regular vehicle owners, who send back camera images for annotation and labeling.

Elon Musk has suggested that this extensive data collection could allow Tesla to achieve true “Level 5” autonomy—a driverless car capable of operating anywhere, in any conditions, without geographic restrictions.

Tesla’s data collection ahead of its robotaxi event indicates a few key things. Primarily, the company is aiming for a flawless demonstration, carefully mapping areas where the vehicle could operate. This preparation makes sense, as the event is crucial for Tesla, especially after Musk’s recent comments positioning the company as primarily focused on AI and robotics.

“We are an AI, robotics company; if you value us otherwise, the right answer is impossible to the questions being asked,” Musk said earlier this year.