Tesla is set to reveal its long-awaited robotaxi prototype at its “We, Robot” event on Oct. 10.
Tesla will livestream it on X starting at 7 p.m. PT/10 p.m. ET. It will also probably be broadcast on YouTube, though Tesla hasn’t posted a link for that yet.
Originally scheduled for Aug. 8, the event was quietly pushed to October and will be held at Warner Bros. Studios in Los Angeles. We expect some on-stage theatrics given the setting. Will CEO Elon Musk give us another memeable moment?
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Tesla doesn’t always stick the landing on its reveals. The Teslabot unveiling in 2022 fell flat when the robot came out on stage, made a “raise the roof” motion, and then walked backstage. That was it, though it was perhaps a step up from the guy in a leotard the year before.
The robotaxi reveal could offer us a bit more, especially since it has serious implications for Tesla’s stock price and, if all goes according to plan, the general public.
The idea is that anyone will be able to “summon” a robotaxi (or “Cybercab,” as Musk referred to it on a Q1 earnings call) through the Tesla app, as shown below. A month ago, Tesla updated the existing summoning function for its Full Self-Driving (FSD) software, which will likely port over to the Cybercab.
(Credit: Tesla)
There’s just one tiny problem: Tesla does not have regulatory approval to operate fully autonomous vehicles in the US. FSD technically qualifies as Level 2 on the autonomous scale, with Level 5 being the highest.
Other companies are further ahead, including Google-backed Waymo and General Motors-backed Cruise, whose vehicles both qualify for Level 4 autonomy. Waymo is currently running in Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Francisco, with plans for an Uber matchup in Austin next year.
Cruise recalled its self-driving vehicles from multiple US cities in 2023 following a pedestrian-involved collision, but they are now slowly returning to the road with humans behind the wheel, for now. It also plans to work with Uber next year.
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In California, where Tesla has a major presence, the company currently has a permit to test with a safety driver, according to the Department of Motor Vehicles. Seven other companies, including Waymo, have permission to test without a driver.
So Tesla has some catching up to do. The company posted its AI roadmap for the end of this year and early 2025, and it did not include any robotaxi-specific projects. It did, however, include expanding FSD, which was most recently enabled for the Cybertruck, and got regulatory approval in China and Europe.
Tesla may offer a robotaxi release date this week, but will more likely focus on the vehicle and its technology. In 2022, Musk teased Tesla robotaxis without steering wheels or pedals, but something like that may also face regulatory hurdles. An early patent filing also mentions a self-cleaning system to keep things tidy between rides, Teslarati reports.
Tesla could also cover other non-robotaxi updates. Fans are eagerly awaiting information on the Roadster sportscar, which is supposedly due to go into production in 2025 after being pushed back from 2022. And what about that $25,000 Tesla?
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About Emily Dreibelbis Forlini
Senior Reporter
