AutoElectric VehiclesElon Musk says Tesla Robotaxi is coming 8 August, but will it?The latest Tesla robotaxi news comes eight years after Elon Musk said full self-driving was just around the cornerWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
AutoElectric VehiclesElon Musk says Tesla Robotaxi is coming 8 August, but will it?The latest Tesla robotaxi news comes eight years after Elon Musk said full self-driving was just around the cornerWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
The latest Tesla robotaxi news comes eight years after Elon Musk said full self-driving was just around the corner
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Tesla)
(Image credit: Tesla)
Elon Musk tweeted earlier this month to say a “Tesla Robotaxi” will be unveiled on 8 August. The announcement came hours after aReutersreport claimed Tesla had cancelled development of a low-cost, entry-level electric car, known as the Model 2.
It is now thought Tesla has shifted its attention from the Model 2 to the unnamed autonomous taxi, and that the two vehicles likely share many of their components. Is this Musk making a bold bet on what he believes to be the inevitable future of the motorcar? Or will this be another example of Tesla showing off a concept years before anything is ready to go on sale?
Just a few years ago, I’d shun the idea of betting against Musk. His timekeeping has ever been great, but the Model S andModel 3were landmark moments in the history of the car. That they came from a startup – a startup that quickly showed the rest of a century-old industry which way to go – is truly remarkable.
But now Tesla must be viewed in a different light. TheCybertruckarrived years late and fell short of expectations in terms of range, performance, price and functionality. The second-generation Roadster supercar is also years behind schedule and Tesla said in late-2023 it has built only around 70 examples of its Semi articulated truck, which was first revealed back in 2017.
(Image credit: Tesla)
(Image credit: Tesla)
Half a decade on and none of this has happened. Tesla’s contentiously-named Full Self-Driving technology, an add-on to the Autopilot driver assistance system, has improved in the years since those bold claims but still requires constant driver supervision. The company lags far behind Waymo, theGooglespin-off that has operated a fully driverless taxi service to the public in Phoenix, Arizona since 2022.
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Waymo has shown for years that a robotaxi service is technically possible. It is legally permissible too, butNBCreported last week how Tesla is yet to contact any US agency responsible for granting permits to run driverless taxis on public roads. Such vehicles are currently legal in Arizona, California and Nevada, but regulators in all three states say they have not heard from Tesla about its robotaxi plans.
Applying for and receiving permits to operate a driverless car on public streets is not the work of a moment.
What will Tesla reveal on 8 August?
Tesla is for now promising to show a robotaxi on 8 August, not necessarily a driverless taxi service. And while I’ve little doubt a new Tesla vehicle will appear, functional or otherwise, Tesla has a habit of revealing new products years before customer deliveries begin. There’s little reason to believe it will be more punctual this time around.
Which is, frankly, a concern. The Cybertruck is a total folly that should never have made it beyond the stage of an attention-grabbing concept car; the internet is littered with videos of the so-called Full Self-Driving system making mistakes on the public road; the Roadster is now four years behind its 2020 target and Musk wants to equip it with rocket thrusters.
I truly believe the automotive landscape is a better place with Tesla a part of it. The company hit the fast-forward button on the electric car industry and offers a world-class charging network. The Model 3 and Model Y are good cars with a great range, sensible price and have sold incredibly well.
Tesla should have stuck with Elon Musk’s original2006 game planand invested profits from selling pricier cars into the development of cheaper models. This strategy worked perfectly when the expensive Model S led to the affordable Model 3, and Tesla should have repeated that play with a Model 2 and even a Model 1. Instead, it ploughed ahead with the Cybertruck and has now seemingly canned the Model 2 in favour of a driverless taxi.
Perhaps that’s the right strategy for a future headed away from car ownership; the perfect vehicle for a generation that already opts for Uber instead of driving itself. It’s the sort of big-picture stuff that made Brand Musk what it is. I just hope this time there’s a real business model and safe, reliable technology below the surface.
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