Tesla CEO, Elon Musk, has unveiled the company's highly anticipated robotaxi, the Cybercab, promising a price tag below $30,000.
The reveal at the 'We, Robot' event also saw announcements for expanded autonomous driving capabilities in the Model 3 and Model Y Tesla vehicles.
Musk arrived at the event, hosted at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California, in a Cybercab accompanied by a human-like robot.
Despite previous scepticism from analysts, Musk expressed confidence in Tesla's ability to deliver on its promises of fully self-driving vehicles. He revealed that 20 additional Cybercabs and 50 autonomous vehicles were available for attendees to experience.
The Cybercab will be fully autonomous, eliminating the need for a steering wheel or pedals. It will feature inductive charging and a powerful computer system, designed to be distributed across the network of Tesla cars.
Musk announced that the Cybercab is expected to go into production before 2027. He envisions a future where autonomous vehicles transform transportation, allowing for safer and more efficient travel.
He said autonomous cars can be used as Uber-like taxis when not being used by the owner, and people could set up fleets of the vehicles to rival ride-share companies in what he described as like a “shepherd with a flock of cars”.
“It’s going to be a glorious future.”
Tesla's Model 3 and Model Y vehicles will transition from supervised to unsupervised self-driving in California and Texas next year. The company aims to expand this capability to other regions, subject to regulatory approval.
He said the S and X models will also have autonomous driving but did not set a timeframe.
Musk emphasised the safety benefits of autonomous driving, citing the vast amount of driving data collected by Tesla.
In addition to the Cybercab, Musk announced the Robovan, an autonomous van capable of carrying up to 20 people and goods. However, details regarding price and production timeline were not disclosed.
Tesla's advancements in autonomous driving come amid ongoing scrutiny from regulators and consumers.
The company faces a class-action lawsuit over promises of full self-driving capabilities that have yet to be fully realised.
In February last year, Tesla was pressured to recall full self-driving vehicles by US safety regulators due to the system allowing speeding and other traffic violations, with Tesla fixing the issue with a software update.
In April this year, regulators also announced an investigation into full self-driving and autopilot systems and whether the company was doing enough to make sure the human drivers were paying attention, after a reported 20 crashes involving autopilot following the earlier recall.
Matthew Knowles, 45, from Foxwood, was convicted by a jury in August of two counts of meeting a girl for sexual purposes.
Two private hire drivers from Darlington have been fined after being caught illegally plying for hire in the town centre.
DfI Minister John O’Dowd has announced a pilot scheme to allow taxis in certain classes to use designated bus lanes in Belfast during road works associated with the Grand Central Station project.
A woman has been sentenced to six months in prison for assaulting a taxi driver and causing £500 worth of damage to his cab.
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Black cab drivers in London are facing a significant issue due to a cyberattack on Transport for London (TfL).
The bus gate was installed six months ago on Corporation Street in Preston by Lancashire County Council (LCC) in a bid to reduce traffic at peak times and allow buses right of way.
John Igoe, director of Mi Taxis Nuneaton has offered £1,000 to catch intruder who assaulted his operator at 8am on the morning of Saturday 12 October.
Driver has been reported to Cheshire West and Chester Council enforcement team who will hopefully take swift action
This is a fantastic initiative, a life changer for these ladies to be able earn an income to feed their families.
Danish Ali, who works for Ride Taxis, reported three separate attacks in recent weeks, involving young people throwing stones at his vehicle.
Plain-clothed officers from the Tactical Firearms Unit (TFU) spotted the passenger acting suspiciously in Cromwell Road on Friday, October 4.
The Royal Borough Council is considering ditching the traditional purple livery for licensed hackney carriages, replacing it with a simpler design that features the borough's coat of arms.
A London cab driver who miraculously survived a heart attack has launched a fundraising campaign to provide more defibrillators across the city.
Dozens of angry Uber drivers took to the streets of Bristol on Wednesday to protest against the company's recent decision to slash customer fares by 50%.
Serwan Mahmoud, 43, was caught transporting £76,000 in cash on the M4 near Cardiff.
Dara Khosrowshahi, the CEO of Uber, has outlined the company's ambitious plans to accelerate its transition to a fully electric fleet in the UK.
Chesterfield drivers staged a protest outside the town hall on Tuesday, October 8, to voice their concerns about the impact of Wolverhampton-licensed cabs on their livelihoods.
Wolverhampton Council is taking steps to curb the number of private hire drivers it licenses following a series of sexual abuse cases involving licensed taxis.
Taxi drivers may avoid seeking professional help due to concerns that it could be reported to the DVLA, affecting their ability to drive