In the safe confines of the Warner Bros. Discovery studio in Burbank, California, Musk traveled to the stage in a prototype, dubbed the “Cybercab,” and confirmed that production is slated for 2026 (or “before 2027”). The robotaxi will reportedly cost less than US$30,000 and operate at 20 cents per mile, relying entirely on cameras and AI to drive. It doesn’t have a plug in, and instead has inductive charging.
Tesla’s robotaxi project has faced delays since Musk first predicted its launch in 2019, but the company is now focusing heavily on this autonomous venture.
Alongside the Cybercab, Musk also introduced a larger, self-driving vehicle called Robovan, capable of carrying up to 20 passengers, further underlining Tesla’s broader ambitions in mobility services.
Though Tesla enthusiasts celebrated the reveal, there is some lingering frustration over the lack of concrete timelines or specifics regarding regulatory challenges and the technology’s readiness.
Musk’s promises of fully autonomous Tesla taxis have been met with skepticism due to previous delays and regulatory scrutiny surrounding the company’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) system, which has been linked to fatal accidents and remains under investigation.
Tesla is positioning itself as an AI robotics company rather than a conventional automaker, but faces competition from the likes of Cruise (GM) and Zoox (Amazon). Cruise, for one, failed to bring its purpose-built robotaxi, the Origin, to production after failing to obtain safety approvals in the US.
At “We, Robot,” Tesla also introduced its latest humanoid Optimus robot, which is designed to be an all-capable household assistant, among other things. There’s no concrete timeline yet on that robot going to market, either.
