The electric Robotaxi also referred to as Cybercab will cost less than $30,000 (approximately Frw 40 million), Tesla CEO and tech mogul Elon Musk revealed during the unveiling ceremony held at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California, on Thursday night.
Musk revealed that, unlike traditional ride-hailing services requiring a driver, the Cybercab will operate fully autonomously.
'You could fall asleep and wake up at your destination,' Musk stated.
The Robotaxi will utilize Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) software, allowing it to autonomously navigate highways, city streets, intersections, and perform tasks like lane changes, parking, summoning, and responding to traffic signals.
Tesla's self-driving technology relies on a powerful neural network that gathers data from millions of Tesla vehicles, constantly learning from real-world driving conditions to improve the vehicle's safety and decision-making capabilities.
The Cybercab, a two-seater with butterfly wing doors and no steering wheel or pedals, lacks a rear window. Musk mentioned that Tesla has produced 21 of these vehicles and that 50 fully autonomous vehicles were present at the launch.
Most of the prototypes displayed at the event featured a gold finish. The Cybercab also showcased matrix-style headlights integrated into a front light bar, similar to the Tesla Cybertruck's design.
While further details were limited, it's expected that the Cybercab will be Tesla's first vehicle to feature wireless induction charging as a standard option.
However, some experts believe that the self driving technology still faces hurdles.
Garrett Nelson, a senior equity analyst at CFRA Research, cautioned, 'A car capable of functioning as a self-driving taxi is still several years away, with numerous technological hurdles, safety tests, and regulatory approvals standing in the way.'
Tesla isn't alone in the race for autonomous taxis. In China, Baidu is testing its own self-driving taxis on public roads. Meanwhile, Waymo, a subsidiary of Google's parent company, has been operating driverless taxi services, recently reporting over 100,000 weekly rides in cities like San Francisco, Phoenix, and Los Angeles.
General Motors' Cruise resumed its autonomous taxi testing following a previous incident, and Amazon's Zoox is developing a driverless van without a steering wheel, aiming to launch a paid service soon.
Wycliffe Nyamasege
