Tesla delivered over 386,000 electric vehicles in Q1 (January-March) 2024, according to Business Wire. Now, the company is turning its focus to the next innovation: the Robotaxi.
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Tesla CEO Elon Musk (@elonmusk) announced the new unveil date for the Robotaxi: August 8, 2024.
Tesla Robotaxi unveil on 8/8
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 5, 2024
Musk originally predicted Robotaxis could be available in 2020, when he announced it at an "autonomous day" event for Tesla in 2019. After missing that deadline, the CEO pushed for a new timeline.
"We aspire to reach volume production in 2024," Musk said, according to ZDNet. "Especially with the Robotaxi and autonomy, I think we'll end up providing consumers with by far the lowest cost-per-mile transport that they've ever experienced."
According to Electrek, Musk believes that "the vehicle is going to result in a cost per mile cheaper than a subsidized bus ticket." While the cost of a bus differs depending on the metro area, the cost per mile can range from $7.40 in Charlotte to $30.40 in New York City, as reported by Curbed.
Teslarati reports that the Robotaxi could have two designs: a $25,000 car that would be cheaper than current models on the market, which consumers can drive, and a second model that comes without a steering wheel and is built to be fully autonomous.
These models could come with two new features, Teslarati reports: a rider quality score — much like driver/rider ratings for Uber/Lyft — and a guest mode. The guest mode could be similar to valet mode, a feature that is available in current Tesla models that reduces max speed and acceleration for added security and safety.
Autonomous cars could have several benefits.
They could lead to fewer injuries and deaths. Car crashes are the leading cause of death in the U.S. for those aged between 1 and 54, according to USA Today.
They can also reduce congestion, which would shorten commute times. Less congestion would also reduce environmental problems, as idle cars increase global temperatures, which causes more extreme weather events. And it doesn't have to stop at cars — this company found success with self-driving tractors.
However, there are reports of self-driving cars being unsafe, and Tesla had to recall models last year. Tesla looks to continually progress with safety measures, as it has for the Cybertruck. The company even received a safety award for the Tesla Model Y.
The unveiling of the Robotaxi in August could provide us with more details on a timeline for this new technology and added safety measures.
"I am totally convinced that complete self driving will be a reality much sooner than most people believe," one user commented.
Other commenters were excited about the prospect of safety.
"Robotaxi is definitely the future calling, in so many ways," commented one user. "New platform. Can even be used as public transport shuttle by cities. No more crashes from over speeding, drunk driving, sleepy drivers, jumping signal."
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