Tesla boss Elon Musk has revealed his company’s vision for driverless vehicles at an event with plenty of Hollywood glitz at Warner Bros Studio in Los Angeles.
Musk arrived (late) on stage in Tesla ’s robotaxi, dubbed the Cybercab, with no steering wheel or pedals. He stepped out of the car with apparent ease, thanks to the big butterfly doors that open upwards from the front of the car.
The personal robotaxi, looking like a cross between Tesla’s monster Cybertruck and its popular Model 3 car, is claimed to go on sale by 2027 for less than $30,000 and costing 20 cents per mile to run. “I think the cost of autonomous transport will be so low you can think of it like individualised mass transit,” said Musk.
The robotaxi will be joined by a bigger ‘robovan’ seating up to 20 people without a driver. Although production of the robotaxis is said to start before 2027, they will only be used where approved by regulators. Unsupervised rides should be permitted in California and Texas from next year, according to Musk.