Tesla’s next big announcement could be around the horizon. Before you begin your celebrations, hold on! Elon Musk’s EV firm isn’t ready with the Tesla Roadster yet but it has something that could excite the average Joe – the Robotaxi.
Tesla’s entry into the ride-hailing service is likely to begin with an all-new autonomous vehicle that could give tough competition to Waymo in the USA and eventually all across the world.
The Robotaxi has been in the rumours for a while and although Tesla failed to deliver on Musk’s previously promised timeline, there’s a new hope to see it in less than a month. This time, the expected release date for the Tesla Robotaxi doesn’t come from Elon Musk but from a Bloomberg report. The Robotaxi is said to break cover on 10 October 2024 and instead of the usual stage set at the Gigafactory, Tesla will borrow space from Warner Bros. Studios in Los Angeles.
Quite a sci-fi setup for the unveiling, right? Will we see pop-culture references during the launch? Fingers crossed!
Although Tesla hasn’t made the date public yet, there’s a greater potential to see the Robotaxi revealed to the world considering Tesla’s lack of new announcements in 2024. The Model 3 facelift, which started hitting the showroom floors this year, was notable but it wasn’t a new product like last year’s Cybertruck.
Hence, we figured out that it is the right time to discuss the Tesla Robotaxi and what it could bring to your neighbourhood roads in the near future.
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Tesla Robotaxi 2024: Everything we know about it
Before you get your hopes high, we’d like to clarify things. Tesla is rumoured to showcase the first working prototype of the Robotaxi in the flesh on 10 October. This means that the production-spec Robotaxi would take some time to hit the roads, depending on the regulatory approvals and clearances.
Based on the Bloomberg report, Tesla is hosting a launch event at the Warner Bros. Studio instead of the Gigafactory premises. The Warner Bros. Studio has a simple network of roads depicting the ideal network of city streets and alleyways, which would be easier for Tesla to scan and feed into the brains of the Robotaxi vehicle.
Since the Robotaxi is largely expected to be an autonomous vehicle championing Tesla’s Full Self Driving system, Tesla would want an easier map for the vehicles to navigate without any issues. This would help in making the Robotaxi appealing to consumers and investors alike. Elon would certainly not want a repeat of Cybertruck’s controversial launch event when the vehicle failed to deliver on the bullet-proof promises.
The Robotaxi, however, is not likely to make big promises like the Cybertruck. All it needs to do is strengthen its Full Self Driving system with improved training and better algorithms to understand road signs, identify potential hazards, avoid accidents and navigate efficiently.
A hacker recently confirmed Bloomberg‘s report and added that Tesla is gathering more data around Area 4 of the Warner Bros. Studio ahead of the planned launch event. Tesla is likely to create a pre-rendered digital map for the Robotaxis to learn prior to the demonstration date. Although it won’t be representative of the vehicle’s true autonomous driving capability, it would showcase how the cars could navigate in similar environments in the future.
So I guess recent Bloomberg news piece explains why Tesla started extensive data collection in “WB Studio” area 4 or so days ago.
This is in addition to other areas like Tesla Diner, various SF and Bay Area pieces and so on. pic.twitter.com/NO4Bprugak— green (@greentheonly) September 1, 2024
What could the Robotaxi look like?
The Robotaxi vehicle is also expected to be based on the Model 3 platform but you could expect smart space-saving measures to be implemented for adapting to bustling city streets. Waymo, which is another autonomous cab-hailing firm, relies on the Jaguar I-Pace EV with additional autonomous driving equipment mounted to the roof.
Given Tesla’s love for innovation, it could do away with the steering wheel and use that space to ferry a passenger.
Range will be another key factor for the Robotaxi given that these cabs need to cover greater distances around the cities all day. You can expect Tesla to come up with an automatic charging solution or rely on dedicated personnel to cater to tired Robotaxis coming in for a quick power refill.
Rumours also hint at Tesla revealing a ride-hailing service of its own to rely on the Robotaxi and several other conventional Tesla cars.
Tesla Robotaxi’s expected price and possible launch date
The Robotaxi is likely to be marketed to fleet operators and Tesla’s rumoured ride-hailing service. In the initial phase, Tesla could provide competitive prices to take on Waymo’s service in select cities in the United States. With a demo expected to be done in early October, we assume that Tesla would be able to release the commercial services within two years if the development phase goes according to the plan.
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(Hero and Featured Image Credits: Courtesy Tesla/ Representational)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Tesla’s Robotaxi is expected to release on 10 October 2024. This would be a showcase of the first working prototype. The production-spec Robotaxi would take more time to hit the roads, depending on the regulatory approvals and clearances.
The Tesla Robotaxi could be only available to taxi fleet operators and ride-hailing services.
Tesla is yet to reveal the features of the Robotaxi. It is rumoured to feature a full self driving capability.
