Driverless cars on American roads: Tesla robotaxi service may start from June 22; Musk said - the car will reach the customer's home on its own.
Electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla may start its robotaxi service from June 22. The company's CEO Elon Musk gave this information in a post on X.
In response to a user's question on X, Musk said, 'Tesla is going to start a robotaxi service in Austin, Texas. However, its date is not final yet, because we are very concerned about safety, so the date may change.'
Musk also said that Tesla's first driverless car will go directly from the factory to the customer's home on June 28.
Robotaxi was seen during testing in America
Musk recently shared a video on social media, in which Tesla's driverless robotaxi is being tested on the roads of Austin, the capital of Texas, America. This video is going more viral on social media.
The 8-second video clip showed the new version of the Model-Y SUV. The black car had a white Robotaxle logo on the front door. The car stopped at an intersection and moved forward after pedestrians crossed the road.
After this, a user started asking Musk when the first public ride would start.
Cybercab with AI feature will run without a driver
The Tesla CEO had revealed the concept model of his first AI-specific robotaxle 'Cybercab' at the 'V-Robot' event held in California, USA in October last year. This two-seater taxi has neither steering nor pedals. Customers will be able to buy a Tesla Cybercab for less than $30,000 (about Rs. 25 lakh).
The design of this two-door car is inspired by the Cybertruck.
The design of the Cybercab is similar to the Cybertruck. The front of the car has a thin connecting LED light, which acts as DRL. Projector headlamps are provided on both its ends. The car has fun doors that open up like a butterfly’s wings. They make the car look like it’s from the future. It is a two-door car. A storage cabin like the Cybertruck is provided at its rear.
The Cybercab has neither steering nor pedals
The cost of running the Cybercab will be 20 cents per mile, i.e. about Rs 16 per 1.6 km.
It will not require any kind of plug to charge, i.e. wireless charging has been provided in it.
The Cybercab is a completely self-driven electric car that does not have any kind of steering wheel or pedals.
The cabin is quite compact and can accommodate only 2 passengers. A flat screen has been provided on the dashboard.
Elon Musk wants to develop a fleet of taxis
Elon Musk wants to make special Tesla cars that can drive by themselves like taxis. People who own a Tesla can also let their car be a taxi when they are not using it. That is, when owners are not using their cars, they can earn money through the network.
The new robotaxi model is a compact, futuristic two-seater. It directly targets established autonomous taxi services such as Waymo and Cruise, with Tesla hoping to make its mark in this competitive market.
Tesla's strategy is to rely on its camera-based fully self-driving (FSD) system, which is quite different from competitors such as Waymo, which use lidar and radar technology. This technology is more expensive than Tesla's technology.
Tesla to bring Robovan too
Tesla also introduced another autonomous vehicle 'Robovan' along with Robotaxy at its V-Robot event which is capable of carrying 20 people. It can also carry luggage. Musk gave an example and said that it could be used to transport sports teams.