Tesla announces plan for robotaxi with no steering wheel or pedal by 2024
Elon Musk has revealed more details about Tesla's upcoming robotaxi during the company's Q1 2022 financial results conference call. The currently unnamed robotaxi, also discussed at Tesla's Cyber Rodeo earlier this month, is expected to reach volume production in 2024.
Musk stated that the robotaxi would be "highly optimized for autonomy", meaning that it would not have a steering wheel or pedals. The vehicle is being designed to make travel as cheap as possible. Musk claimed that based on "some of our projections, it would appear that a robotaxi ride will cost less than a bus ticket, a subsidized bus ticket or a subsidized subway ticket."
The Tesla CEO confirmed that it would reveal the vehicle in 2023 and that they believe the robotaxi will significantly contribute to the company's growth. Musk revealed no further details about the robotaxi; for example, it remains unclear whether the cars will use cameras, lidar or radar sensors.
Musk also suggested that existing Tesla customers would be able to turn their vehicles into their own robotaxi via the Full Self-Driving software upgrade that currently costs US$12,000. During the same call, Musk announced Tesla's record quarterly profit of US$3.7 billion and offered an explanation for its recent price increases.
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