After months of promises, Elon Musk on Thursday (October 10) unveiled the Cybercab, a robotaxi prototype, now positioned at the heart of Tesla’s growth strategy. But the head of the electric car manufacturer did not provide many details about the technology on board the car, nor a specific marketing date.
There are no steering wheels or pedals
“I tend to be a bit optimistic about timelines, but 2026. Before 2027, let’s put it that way.” He explained when asked about this last point. The billionaire has promised a selling price of less than $30,000, making the Cybercab the least expensive car in the electric brand’s lineup.
The Cybercab has a very futuristic look, inspired by a sci-fi movie. The car can only carry two passengers. It does not have a steering wheel or pedals. Not even a charging socket: charging will be done by induction.
No lidar
For Tesla, the real challenge of this launch will not be industrial. It will be technological: achieving autonomy. Of course, the company does offer a driving assistance function, but it remains very limited. It requires uninterrupted monitoring of the driver. It is also called into question by the legal actions taken by the families of road accident victims.
Therefore, Tesla is still far from the level of autonomy necessary for a robotaxi service. Many experts believe that his mission will be difficult due to the technological choice. Its functions rely mainly on cameras, while other players in this sector use lidar technology, a laser system that maps the environment. Elon Musk did not explain how Tesla plans to take the next step.
Independent minibus
Another hurdle for Tesla will be regulatory. Before it is allowed to deploy self-driving cars without an operator, the company will have to accumulate test kilometers, with the exception of a few US states, as Google’s subsidiary Waymo does, for example. However, it has not yet taken the slightest action with the authorities. Without forgetting that the recent setbacks suffered by Cruz will certainly prompt more caution.
In the more distant future, Elon Musk promises Robovan, a type of autonomous minibus that can transport up to 20 people. The design is more futuristic than the Cybercab. And the details are less.
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