News Brief

'Cybercab': Elon Musk Unveils Driverless Tesla Robotaxi, Likely To Be Priced Below $30,000—What You Need To Know

Kuldeep Negi

Oct 11, 2024, 09:44 AM | Updated 09:44 AM IST


Tesla Robotaxi
Tesla Robotaxi

Tesla CEO Elon Musk on Thursday (10 October) unveiled the company's driverless Robotaxi.

The robotaxi, called 'Cybercab', is a purpose-built autonomous vehicle, lacking a steering wheel or pedals, meaning it will need approval from regulators before going into production.

The design of the car is futuristic, with doors that open upward like butterfly wings and a small cabin with only enough space for two passengers.

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.

Tesla plans to launch fully autonomous driving in Texas and California next year, with the Cybercab production slated to begin by 2026 — although Musk said it could be as late as 2027.

Musk traveled to the stage in a "Cybercab" and said that the vehicle will be available to buy for less than $30,000.

The Cybercab will use inductive chargers and not require any plugs i.e. it will charge wirelessly.

Musk also showcased a larger, self-driving vehicle - called Robovan - capable of carrying up to 20 people, and showed off Tesla's Optimus humanoid robot.

Musk's plan is to operate a fleet of self-driving Tesla taxis that passengers can hail through an app.

Individual Tesla owners will also be able to make money on the app by listing their vehicles as robotaxis.

Additionally, Tesla is developing the Optimus robot, which could be available for $20,000-$30,000, and is capable of performing various tasks.

Also Read: South China Sea, 10-Point Plan And FTA: Key Highlights Of PM Modi's Visit To Laos For ASEAN-India Summit

Kuldeep is Senior Editor (Newsroom) at Swarajya. He tweets at @kaydnegi.


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