What is the Tesla Robovan? Elon Musk unveils driverless taxis, shuttles and droids at We, Robot event

Everyone expected Tesla to unveil a driverless taxi on Thursday night, but Elon Musk also had a surprise up his sleeve.

After attending his company’s We, Robot event in the cybercab, the tech billionaire took home another new vehicle: a “Robovan.”

This being a Tesla, it didn’t look like your typical truck.

What is the Tesla Robovan?

With its sleek curves and horizontal lines, the Robovan looks like it was taken straight out of a sci-fi movie: think Streamline Moderne meets Minority Report. Or, the fountain car of a futuristic train, the kind you imagine President Snow arriving in The Hunger Games.

The bus-like vehicle will be able to drive autonomously, which was apparently the theme of the night (and Tesla’s broader goal for its cars, a lofty vision now more than a decade in the making) .

Tesla says its Robovan can also be used to transport cargo

Tesla

Musk said the van can carry up to 20 passengers, making it perfect for “high-density” travel, whether you’re hauling a sports team or heading to Heathrow with a large cohort of co-workers.

It would probably cause congestion if it was introduced on the M25 tomorrow, so it’s a good thing it won’t hit the roads for a while yet.

What is the Robovan release date?

Like most things Mr. Musk revealed at the eccentric event, including dancing humanoid robots, the Robovan is still in the concept stage. That means it’s designed to get tongues wagging, but it’s not ready for mass production.

Given Mr. Musk’s self-proclaimed overpromising of Tesla’s autonomous capabilities, and all the regulatory red tape in its way, the Robovan could be several years away.

In the past, Musk claimed that Tesla cars would achieve full autonomy within a few years, but that hasn’t happened yet. He also predicted a drive across the country without human intervention, which has not come to fruition. In addition, Musk previously shared plans for one million robotaxis, which are still in development.

When is Tesla FSD coming out?

That’s not to say Tesla hasn’t made gains in its self-driving goals. At the event, Musk revealed that he expects Tesla to implement “unsupervised FSD” in Texas and California next year, available on 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 that a human driver must remain behind the wheel, ready to take control at a moment’s notice.

Earlier this year, Tesla added the term “supervised” to the FSD brand to clarify its current limitations.

What is the Tesla Robotaxi?

Despite the shocking announcement of Mr. Musk from the Robovan, the headliner of the night was Tesla’s new EV.

Forget about ordering an Uber, Mr. Musk wants you to ride in a car without a steering wheel, pedals or even a driver.

Tesla says the Robotaxi will go into production before 2027

Tesla

“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, with its butterfly doors and flowing design, you’ll be pleased to know that it will also be available for purchase.

It is expected to cost less than $30,000 and go into production before 2027, Musk said.

Unlike other self-driving cars, both the Robotaxi and the Robovan are being built to run on artificial intelligence and cameras instead of Lidar sensors and built-in mapping software.

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