Tesla reveals the Cybercab robotaxi and Robovan

The self-driving electric vehicle will arrive before 2027 and cost £23,000. The company also surprisingly presents the Robovan

Photo by: InsideEVs

By: Francesco Barontini

Oct 11, 2024 at 3:36am ET

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Elon Musk finally did it. He left everyone stunned. How? By presenting the Robotaxi, which now also has the official name of Cybercab, but by also pulling a couple of extra rabbits out of the hat that delighted those present and those streaming in to watch the We Robot event.

The name alone should have hinted that the subject matter would be broader. And so it was as Musk, from the stage of the Warner Bros studios in Los Angeles, spoke not only about the long-awaited self-driving vehicle but also illustrated his idea of the mobility of the future, showing a brand new Robovan. But let's start at the beginning, because there's more.

The Cybercab arrives "before 2027".

The announced star of the evening, the Cybercab, did not disappoint expectations. It was shown. Not only that, it was tested. In fact, a fleet of some 20 vehicles was present at the event for free test drives offered to the guests. They took place on the streets of the studios' film sets. In short, in a "controlled" environment, which nonetheless shows that the project is in an advanced state of development and that the intentions are serious.

Tesla Cybercab: the American company's self-driving vehicle

InsideEVs

Elon Musk said: "The whole vehicle is designed to transport people without a driver. That's where we want to get to. What will you do with your time once you no longer have to drive? You can sleep or watch a movie or work. Moving around in a self-driving vehicle will give you opportunities you don't have now. It's a revolution. And it was with this in mind that the designers defined the features of Tesla's new vehicle. "It will arrive in 2026", Musk said, "I don't know exactly when, but let's say before 2027".

It will cost less than $30,000

Everything is designed to make driverless transport practical and economical. The vehicle has the shapes anticipated by concepts and drawings: aerodynamic bodywork, two wide doors that rise upwards, a spacious cabin dominated in front by a large central monitor. It will have an operating cost of about USD 0.20 per mile (that's £0.15): five times less than the operating cost of current public transport.

Interestingly, the Cybercab will be regularly on sale and can be bought by anyone. It will cost less than $30,000 (about £23,000). At least, that is what Musk has promised.

Tesla will sell the Cybercab to everyone for $30,000

InsideEVs

It will only have induction charging

Musk didn't talk about technical features regarding battery or motors, but he did say some interesting things about the Cybercab. First of all: it will have no charging port, only induction charging. Then, as shown in the video projected during the event, it will be able to go to dedicated stations to be cleaned and sanitised after each ride, so that occupants will always be welcomed in a safe and impeccable environment.

Autonomous driving is on the way

But how will it travel in complete autonomy? Simple: by exploiting the Full Self Driving that all Teslas already have. Which is based on neural networks, artificial intelligence and cameras. There is no shortage of sceptics on this point. The absence of radar or Lidar is frowned upon by experts because it takes away extra control in poor visibility conditions. Musk seems adamant, however.

"Full self-driving technology is not expensive," explained Elon Musk. "It just exploits a huge amount of data that we have been collecting and processing for years from all the cars we already have on the road. This allows our vehicles to learn very quickly. Cameras are enough if you have enough computing power".

Robotaxi Tesla Cybercab

InsideEVs

Robotaxi Tesla Cybercab

He added: "Unsupervised autonomous driving is close and is between 10 and 20 times safer than driving left to the responsibility of one person. When Cybercab comes out, it will be mature. We will make it possible wherever the law allows. And we will enable it on all our cars, opening up new revenue opportunities for drivers who have bought one of our models, from Model 3/Y to Cybertruck via Model S/X". The idea is not new: allowing Tesla owners to offer driverless transport services during the time they are not using the car is something Musk has been talking about for a long time.

There is also the Robovan

Those expecting news about the Tesla Model 2, the €25,000 (£21,000) economy car, were disappointed. There was no mention of this new model, but that was because the theme of the evening was something else - "We Robot". And so, there came on stage the Robovan, a 20-seater bus for transporting large groups that, just like the Cybercab, will travel without a driver.

It is shaped like a rhomboid and is reminiscent in style of some vehicles from the 1950s. It has a very cosy interior with individual sofas and armchairs, which is accessed via two large sliding doors. "We will make it as you see it today", Musk said, "It will be used to take large groups of people around. In this case the operating cost will be even lower: just a few cents per km".

Tesla Robovan

InsideEVs

"Think of what it will mean to have vehicles like the Cybercab and the Robovan in our cities", Musk said. "In the future, we could turn the huge car parks that we have today near stadiums or shopping centres into large green areas. Our cities will have parks instead of concrete squares. This is the future we want".

The Optimus barman

Could the humanoid robot Optimus be missing from an evening called "We Robot"? Of course not. And indeed, before greeting the audience, Elon Musk put the classic icing on the cake. "We've come a long way with our robot", he said. "The first time we talked about it, we took real people and put tights on them. We've made incredible progress with it, using the same technologies that are on cars. Today the Optimus can do crazy things".

As he spoke, a group of robots walked into the hall and into the audience. "If you want to try the Cybercab, go outside for test drives. If you want something to drink, go to the bar. There are Optimus people ready to serve you. Treat them well". Then the music started, and more Optimus started dancing like cybercubs.

Taking selfies with bartender-robot Optimus

What will happen now

What do you think?

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This is what happened in California. But now the hard part begins. So many times Elon Musk has promised things that have not come true or have come true partially and with guilty delays. But the line is drawn. As of today, we know what Tesla is banking on to continue growing in the future. Does this mean that it will gradually abandon the traditional car business? Not necessarily. It will move it forward, evolving it towards a new concept of transport.

Gallery: Tesla Cybercab

Source: Tesla

Then becoming reality, declarations will have to be followed by facts. Will the Cybercab really arrive within three years? Will it cost so little? And will regulations allow its widespread use? There are many knots to unravel. Elon Musk often tells his dreams as if they were already reality, but the reality is then made up of technological obstacles, economic problems, and a thousand other difficulties. We have seen this with the 4680 batteries, the Cybertruck, the Roadster and Full Self Driving. Surely in the coming months we will better understand how to interpret what was said from the Warner Bros studios stage. For now, it cannot be said that we are bored with Elon Musk.