Introduction | Lead

On the morning of October 11, Beijing time, Tesla held a demonstration event called "Robotaxi Day" at the Warner Bros. Discovery Studios in Los Angeles, California. Musk revealed the latest progress on Tesla's autonomous vehicles and robotics technology on-site. Can this event, which Musk called "historic," change Tesla's fate? With the acceleration of the automotive intelligence process, how far are we from autonomous driving?

Produced by | Heyan Yueche Studio

Written by | Cai Jialun

Edited by | Heyan

1678 words in full text

4 minutes to read

At the Tesla Robotaxi launch event, Musk arrived on-site in a Robotaxi. Notably, this vehicle had no pedals or steering wheel, fully realizing autonomous driving. Musk announced that Tesla's Robotaxi is named Cybercab and simultaneously revealed plans to introduce an autonomous version of the Tesla Model Y in the future. As an autonomous taxi, the Cybercab has a total cost below $30,000 and is scheduled for production in 2026, with plans to sell to the public.

△ The unveiling of Tesla's autonomous taxi, the Cybercab

Is Musk Making Promises He Can't Keep?

While most vehicles on the market today claim to have autonomous driving capabilities, few demonstrate the same commitment to autonomy as Tesla's Cybercab, which lacks both a steering wheel and pedals. Positioned as a two-door sedan with unique gull-wing doors, the Cybercab shares a similar design aesthetic with Tesla's Cybertruck, featuring Robust body lines , a through-type light strip at the front, and a through-type brake light at the rear. Its silver color and unique body structure, including a trunk space that takes up nearly half the vehicle's length, make it less practical for urban commuting.

Notably, the Cybercab is equipped with robotic arms for automatic interior cleaning and utilizes wireless inductive charging, eliminating the need for a charging port. Musk emphasizes the low cost of the Cybercab, estimating the total vehicle cost to be less than 210,000 Chinese yuan. Its operational cost is projected to be approximately $0.20 per mile or 1.3 Chinese yuan per kilometer, inclusive of taxes. In the evolution of autonomous driving, the Tesla Cybercab undoubtedly represents the ultimate model, allowing passengers to simply enter their destination upon boarding and let the vehicle handle the rest. However, the project's maturity and implementation will require time.

△ Tesla's Cybercab lacks a steering wheel and pedals

The Cybercab's launch event was originally scheduled for August but was postponed by two months. The event, which Musk touted as historic, fell short of expectations for many eagerly anticipating fans. Musk arrived 50 minutes late and spent less than 20 minutes on his presentation before concluding with the words, "Let's party!"

Many had anticipated technical details about the Cybercab, but Musk provided none. Despite the enthusiasm of the audience, who eagerly inquired about when the Cybercab would be available for purchase, Musk offered only vague responses, indicating an uncertain timeline before 2027. The brief presentation left many wondering if Musk was making empty promises. He failed to address technical aspects, commercialization timelines, or regulatory challenges surrounding autonomous driving, though he did unveil a prototype and announced that Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) capability would launch in Texas and California next year.

△ The production and launch timeline for the Tesla Cybercab remains uncertain

Optimus Makes Tesla More Than Just a Car Company

For Tesla, cars are but one piece of a broader puzzle. At the launch event, Musk introduced Tesla's Optimus robots, which interacted with the audience, served as cyber bartenders, played rock-paper-scissors with guests, and even performed a dance show during Musk's party.

In April of this year, Tesla announced plans to deploy thousands of Optimus robots in its factories by the end of 2025, with external customer deliveries beginning in 2026. The presence of Optimus robots at the event underscores Musk's dual-track approach to autonomous driving and artificial intelligence, with Tesla's electric vehicles serving as stepping stones to its future plans. As Musk has repeatedly stated, Tesla's long-term future lies not in electric vehicles but in its Optimus robots, which he believes will ultimately surpass the value of all other Tesla products combined. With the advancement of AI, Musk's vision is not far-fetched.

△ Tesla's long-term future lies not in electric vehicles but in its Optimus robots

Commentary

We have long envisioned future modes of transportation akin to the autonomous cars in science fiction films, where simply stating a destination leads us to our chosen locale. The unveiling of Tesla's Cybercab brings us one step closer to this dream. As AI technology advances, how will our lifestyles evolve in the future?

(This article is originally created by Heyan Yueche and may not be reproduced without authorization)