Elon Musk has made another big promise in Los Angeles – at least in part. The Tesla CEO presented the long-awaited robotaxi that will transport passengers autonomously in the future.
Named “Cybercab,” the vehicle is reminiscent of a Tesla Model 3 and stands out for its gull-wing doors that open upwards. But despite its impressive presentation on the Warner Bros. studio lot in Hollywood, many questions remained unanswered about the technology and its eventual realization.
Tesla plans to start production of the “Cybercab” in 2026. However, Elon Musk quickly admitted that he is known for being overly optimistic about timelines. This self-criticism is justified, as Musk has made overly ambitious predictions several times in the past. For example, years ago he promised that Tesla owners would be able to use their vehicles as robotaxis to make money. So far, that has not been possible, and Tesla’s existing autonomous driving technology remains a topic of debate.
30.000 dollar
According to Musk, the “Cybercab” will not only be used as a robotaxi, but will also be available for consumers to buy – for less than $30.000. With this, Tesla wants to offer an attractively priced model that can appeal to a wide target group. Whether that price and the production year of 2026 are feasible, however, remains to be seen.
During the event, Musk arrived in style: he was driven to the stage in a driverless “Cybercab,” without a driver. However, this happened on a controlled terrain, meaning that no approval from traffic authorities was needed. The vehicle drove autonomously, but whether this technology will work as well in regular traffic remains uncertain.
Robovan
Another highlight of the evening was the presentation of a futuristic self-driving minivan called “Robovan,” which can seat up to 20 people. This vehicle also fits into Tesla’s ambition to develop a fully autonomous fleet. However, it remains to be seen how quickly these ambitions can become reality, especially since Tesla is still struggling to achieve its autonomous driving goals.
The event began nearly an hour late, with Musk attributing the delay to a medical emergency among attendees. In addition to journalists, the event was attended by analysts and prominent Tesla influencers, who often heap praise on the brand and its founder.
With the presentation of the “Cybercab” and the “Robovan”, Tesla shows once again that the company has great ambitions in the field of autonomous driving. But whether this vision of the future quickly becomes reality will depend on technological breakthroughs and Tesla’s ability to actually deliver on its promises.
Musk has been promising since 2016 that Tesla is on the verge of a breakthrough in autonomous driving. He even promised years ago that all Tesla owners would be able to deploy their driverless vehicles on a robotaxi platform to make money. Tesla has long offered the option to pay up front for the possibility of autonomous driving, but in practice the so-called “Autopilot” system, even in its advanced “Full Self-Driving” version, is still a driver assistance system where the driver always remains responsible and must be able to take control at any time.
competition
Meanwhile, there are already working robotaxis, mostly from Waymo, a sister company of Google. These vehicles make more than 100.000 driverless rides a week in four American cities, most notably in San Francisco. Waymo has converted Jaguar electric vehicles that are part of the street scene there. In China, too, companies such as Baidu are making rapid progress in the field of robotaxis.
Unlike Waymo and other robotaxi developers, Musk remains committed to his vision that fully autonomous driving is possible only with cameras, rather than more expensive laser radar technology. But many industry experts question whether these vehicles can gather enough information to navigate traffic safely and effectively.
