Elon Musk doesn’t do things by halves, and Tesla’s recent “We, Robot” event was proof of that. Held at the Warner Bros. studio lot in Burbank, California—because where else would you unveil a futuristic robotaxi that looks like it rolled off a sci-fi movie set?—Musk introduced the world to two new vehicles aimed at revolutionising urban mobility: the CyberCab and the RoboVan. But behind the fanfare, sleek designs, and wireless charging promises, there’s a looming question: Is Tesla really ready to deliver on its grand vision for autonomous vehicles?
At first glance, the CyberCab is classic Musk: ambitious, sleek, and just a little outrageous. The all-electric, two-passenger vehicle lacks a steering wheel, pedals, or even a charging port. Instead, it uses inductive charging technology, powering up wirelessly—a concept that feels very “Back to the Future” but with real-world regulatory hurdles. According to Musk, the CyberCab could be on the roads by 2026. Or maybe 2027. No one’s really holding their breath.
“This is a very big deal,” Musk said during the presentation, flashing his signature grin. “It’ll save lives, a lot of lives, and prevent injuries.” He didn’t skimp on the promises either. The CyberCab, he claimed, would cost as little as $0.20 per mile, making it five times cheaper than public transport. “Think of the cumulative time people will save in their car. They can read a book, watch a movie, even do work,” Musk added. It’s a tempting vision: a world where commuting is a leisure activity instead of a daily grind.
In terms of availability, the CyberCab is expected to start production as early as 2026, though Musk has hinted that 2027 might be a more realistic timeline. Pricing for the CyberCab is expected to start at around $25,000. This aggressive price point would make it accessible for many consumers, undercutting most competitors in the autonomous vehicle space. However, it will initially be part of Tesla’s autonomous ride-hailing network, with private ownership possible in the future. This lower price tag could be Tesla’s attempt to make robotaxis affordable to fleet operators and individual owners looking to join the Tesla Network and earn income.
But like so many of Musk’s ideas, the devil is in the details. Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) system is still a work in progress, and despite the tech’s flashy name, it’s far from being truly autonomous. FSD requires constant driver attention, and Tesla’s decision to shun LiDAR—an industry-standard technology used by almost every other self-driving car company—has raised eyebrows. Musk has famously derided LiDAR as “expensive” and unnecessary, preferring a vision-only system that relies on cameras and sensors. It’s a bold move, but also a risky one, especially given the competition.
While Tesla may be the poster child for the electric vehicle (EV) revolution, its track record with self-driving technology has been shaky at best. Tesla’s FSD system has been involved in several high-profile accidents, including a fatal crash earlier this year when a motorcyclist was killed by a Tesla reportedly using FSD. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has launched multiple investigations into Tesla’s driver-assist features, raising questions about whether Tesla’s tech is truly road-ready.
Then there’s the matter of competition. Veteran tech journalist Kara Swisher took to Threads after Tesla’s “We, Robot” event to throw some shade. “Well, it’s real on the set of Warner Bros, which is to say a basic demo,” she wrote. “But @waymo and @zoox and Aurora and, well, all of China have been at it for years now on actual roads and with actual passengers (I use Waymo all the time in SF).” Swisher’s point? Tesla might be great at producing cinematic unveilings, but when it comes to real-world autonomy, companies like Waymo, Cruise, and Zoox are miles ahead—both literally and figuratively.
Swisher wasn’t done. She raised pointed questions about Tesla’s business plan for these new robotaxis. “What is the biz plan? Why would people buy them and compete on the network with Tesla owners? What about experienced competitors like Uber in the network biz? When are they really coming out?” she asked. These are legitimate questions. Companies like Waymo and Cruise have logged millions of miles on public roads, perfecting their systems in real-world conditions. Tesla, on the other hand, has leaned heavily on its camera-based approach, dismissing the more robust, but expensive, sensor suites used by competitors.
And while Tesla fans might defend Musk’s vision of affordability, the reality is that other companies are already offering fully operational driverless rides. “For those not paying attention like I have been for a decade, @zoox (owned by @amazon) already has been road testing their adorakable models on the streets of SF for years,” Swisher wrote. Her sarcasm was palpable: “But sure, if you want to ride in a giant toaster on wheels that will get here at some unspecified date, with some unspecified biz model, knock yourself out.”
In August, Waymo unveiled that it was conducting 100,000 paid rides weekly across San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix. This remarkable achievement, coupled with its almost flawless safety record, underscores the significant gap between Waymo and its competitors in terms of business model, commercialization, and core technology. So Tesla has a lot of work ahead.
Anthony Levandowski’s Take: Musk’s Vision, But With Caution
One voice in favour of Musk’s vision comes from an unlikely source: Anthony Levandowski, the pioneering, and somewhat controversial, engineer who helped create Google’s self-driving car programme (now Waymo). Levandowski, who’s had his own brushes with fame and infamy (remember the lawsuit that embroiled Google, Uber, and Levandowski?), is bullish on Tesla’s approach—at least, to an extent.
“I think the issue isn’t building the car without a steering wheel, it’s making the software work,” Levandowski said in a report after Tesla’s robotaxi reveal. “There’s a lot of gap between driving around on a track at an amusement park and driving around in Los Angeles traffic. The optimism is there. The realism is what’s coming next.”
Levandowski is one of the few industry veterans who agrees with Musk’s camera-only approach to self-driving. “To scale that out to the masses, you need something that’s affordable,” he said, acknowledging that while Waymo’s sensory-heavy systems work, they’re far more expensive and resource-intensive. Levandowski admitted that he was hoping Tesla would announce a breakthrough in its FSD software, which still struggles with critical errors and is far from ready for unsupervised driving.
And, in true Levandowski fashion, he couldn’t help but poke fun at Musk’s notoriously ambitious timelines: “If you can’t start a webcast on time, maybe your prediction for 2026 is a little ambitious,” he quipped, referencing the fact that the event itself was delayed due to a medical emergency.
Still, Levandowski was optimistic about Tesla’s long-term potential, even calling the CyberCab’s eventual sale a smart business move. “You’re putting the power back into the people’s hands,” he said. He liked the idea that small business owners could run their own fleets of robotaxis. “It’s a great model for the future where it’s lots of mum-and-pops, rather than one mega-corp.”
As if the CyberCab wasn’t enough, Musk had another surprise up his sleeve: the RoboVan. Marketed as a solution for “high-density” transport, the RoboVan is designed to carry up to 20 people or large cargo. Musk pitched it as the ultimate urban transport vehicle, with operating costs potentially as low as $0.05-$0.10 per mile.
“The RoboVan is what’s gonna solve for high density,” Musk declared, his voice tinged with excitement. “Want to take a sports team somewhere? Or get travel costs down to 5-10 cents per mile? Use the RoboVan.” Much like the CyberCab, the RoboVan is intended to operate within Tesla’s planned autonomous ride-hailing network, where Tesla owners could add their cars to the fleet when not in use.
Pricing for the RoboVan, like the CyberCab, hasn’t been confirmed, but analysts predict a price tag in the range of $80,000 to $100,000, given its size, capabilities, and target market. The RoboVan is likely to appeal to both commercial businesses and urban transport operators looking for a cost-effective solution for moving people or goods. As with the CyberCab, availability is expected around 2026 or 2027, in line with Tesla’s broader rollout of its autonomous network.
But once again, Tesla is entering a crowded market. Volkswagen’s ID Buzz, Mercedes’ eSprinter, and even Amazon-owned Zoox are already testing and releasing electric vans for both passenger and commercial use. And then there’s China—quietly building a competitive lead in both autonomous and electric vehicles, often at a fraction of Tesla’s costs.
In addition to robotaxis, Musk also used the “We, Robot” event to show off Tesla’s vision for humanoid robots with the introduction of Optimus. Musk revealed roughly a dozen Optimus humanoid robots walking around the event, mingling with the guests. Designed to be affordable companions and helpers, Musk said these robots could eventually retail for around $20,000 to $30,000.
The Optimus robots stole the show with their human-like movements, some of them even dancing like go-go dancers and mixing drinks for attendees. They seemed interactive, able to speak to guests in different accents and voice personas upon command, though it wasn’t entirely clear whether these interactions and movements were autonomous or remotely controlled by humans. Regardless, it was a striking demonstration of Tesla’s long-term ambitions in AI and robotics.
Musk envisions a future where robots like Optimus will take over tasks that are dangerous or monotonous for humans, from household chores to more industrial applications. “We’re not just a car company anymore,” Musk said. “We’re becoming a robotics and AI company.”
While the demonstration was impressive, questions remain about how soon Optimus will be ready for real-world applications, especially given the complexities of robotics and AI development. Musk, ever the optimist, believes these robots will one day surpass Tesla’s vehicles in terms of market impact, but for now, they remain an exciting glimpse into what might be possible in the future.
Beyond the immediate hype of CyberCab, RoboVan, and Optimus, Musk has a bigger vision in mind—robots and autonomous technologies that reshape how we live and work. While this might sound like something out of a sci-fi novel, it also speaks to Tesla’s growing ambition. Musk has long pushed the idea that the company’s future lies in AI and robotics, not just EVs.
As Kara Swisher aptly put it, “It’s all handwaving until it is a road warrior IMHO.” For all of Tesla’s bold promises, the company has yet to demonstrate that it can compete with the likes of Waymo, Cruise, or even Zoox in the real world. The CyberCab, RoboVan, and Optimus may look good on a movie set, but until they can navigate the chaotic streets of Los Angeles or San Francisco—or replace your household vacuum—they remain, for now, just promises on wheels (or legs)
_20241112164051_original_image_36.webp)
