Everyone was expecting Tesla to reveal a driverless taxi on Thursday night, but Elon Musk also had a surprise up his sleeve.
After rocking up to his firm’s We, Robot event in the cybercab, the tech billionaire took the wraps off another new vehicle: a “Robovan”.
This being Tesla, it didn’t resemble your typical lorry.
What is the Tesla Robovan?
With its sleek curves and horizontal lines, the Robovan looks like it’s been plucked straight from a sci-fi flick – think Streamline Moderne meets Minority Report. Or, the font carriage of a futuristic train, the kind you would imagine President Snow arriving in for the Hunger Games.
The bus-like vehicle will be capable of driving autonomously, which was ostensibly the theme of the night (and Tesla’s broader goal for its cars, a lofty vision now more than a decade in the making).
Mr Musk said the van can carry up to 20 passengers, making it perfect for “high-density” trips – whether you're transporting a sports team or heading to Heathrow with a big cohort of work colleagues.
It would probably cause pile-ups if it showed up on the M25 tomorrow, so it’s just as well it won’t hit roads for a while yet.
What is the Robovan’s release date?
Like most of the stuff Mr Musk revealed at the eccentric event, including dancing humanoid robots, the Robovan is still in the concept stage. This means it’s designed to get tongues wagging, but is nowhere near ready for mass production.
Given Mr Musk’s self-declared penchant for overpromising on Tesla's autonomous capabilities, and all the regulatory red-tape in its way, the Robovan could be several years away.
Optimus is your personal R2D2 / C3PO, but better
— Tesla (@Tesla) October 11, 2024
It will also transform physical labor in industrial settings pic.twitter.com/iCET3a9pd8
In the past, Mr Musk has stated that Tesla cars would achieve full autonomy within a few years, but this hasn’t happened yet. He also predicted a cross-country drive without human intervention, which has not come to fruition. Additionally, Mr Musk previously shared plans for one million robotaxis, which are still in development.
When is Tesla FSD coming out?
That’s not to say that Tesla hasn’t made gains in its autonomous-driving goals. At the event, Musk revealed that he expects Tesla to roll out "unsupervised FSD" in Texas and California next year, available in the Model 3 and Model Y electric vehicles.
FSD, or Full Self-Driving, is Tesla's advanced driver-assistance system, which currently operates in a "supervised" mode. This means a human driver must remain behind the wheel, ready to take control at any moment.
Robotaxi pic.twitter.com/zVJ9v9yXNr
— Tesla (@Tesla) October 11, 2024
Earlier this year, Tesla added the term "supervised" to the FSD branding to clarify its current limitations.
What is the Tesla Robotaxi?
Despite Mr Musk’s shock announcement of the Robovan, the headliner on the night was Tesla’s new self-driving EV.
Forget ordering an Uber, Mr Musk wants you to ride around in a car without a steering wheel, pedals, or even a driver.
“You could fall asleep and wake up at your destination,” the tech billionaire declared at the event.
If you like the sleek look of the two-seater, complete with its butterfly doors and flowing design, you’ll be happy to learn that it will be available to buy, too.
It’s expected to cost under $30,000 and will go into production before 2027, Mr Musk said.
Unlike other autonomous cars, both the Robotaxi and Robovan are being built to operate using artificial intelligence and cameras instead of Lidar sensors and inbuilt mapping software.
