Jakarta, Indonesia Sentinel — Tesla CEO Elon Musk has announced a renewed focus on developing fully autonomous, driverless vehicles for the company’s future ride-hailing service, known as “robotaxi.” The decision has left some investors uneasy, as many had hoped Tesla would continue to prioritize conventional electric vehicles (EVs) for the mass market.
Musk described the development of conventional, non-autonomous EVs as “pointless.” He made the comment in response to a question about when investors might expect a standard, non-robotaxi EV priced at $25,000 during Tesla’s third-quarter earnings call on Wednesday, October 23.
“I think having a $25,000 regular electric car is a waste,” Musk said, as cited from Business Insider on October 25, 2024. “It’s ridiculous and would completely contradict our mission.”
Musk indicated that Tesla’s future models would all be equipped with autonomous systems, stating that he envisions a future where all EVs are self-driving. Although he previously suggested Tesla might release a lower-cost EV by mid-2025, he devoted most of the investor call to discussing his vision for robotaxis, which he aims to bring to market by 2027.
Tesla unveiled its first robotaxi model, the “Cybercab,” earlier this month. The two-seater Cybercab, which is expected to sell for approximately $30,000, was introduced as Tesla’s first step toward a fully autonomous ride-hailing fleet.
However, experts have cautioned that the Cybercab’s design which came out without both a steering wheel and pedals, may face regulatory challenges. Approval could be difficult to obtain, given its unconventional configuration.
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The long-anticipated Cybercab robotaxi was formally introduced on October 10 at an event held at Warner Bros. Studios. Musk made a dramatic entrance onstage in one of the Cybercabs, expressing confidence in Tesla’s advancements in autonomous driving. “We’re transitioning from supervised full self-driving (FSD) to unsupervised full self-driving. You could literally fall asleep and wake up at your destination. The future is very bright,” Musk said, as reported by AP.
The Cybercab robotaxi launch reflects Tesla’s shift toward the development of fully autonomous vehicles. Musk is working to reassure investors that the company’s strategic focus will be on advancing autonomous technologies, even as Tesla continues to rely on traditional EV sales as a key revenue stream.
(Raidi/Agung)
