Tesla is expected to present its robot taxi, a driverless vehicle, on August 8. This was announced by Elon Musk, the boss of the American electric vehicle manufacturer, on the social network X (formerly Twitter). The announcement caused the company’s stock to jump 6%.
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It is a very succinct message that Elon Musk published on the social network X, of which he also owns: “ Presentation of the Tesla robot taxi on 8/08 “.
Tesla Robotaxi unveil on 8/8
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 5, 2024
Elon Musk sees robot taxis as the future of mobility. He even publicly predicted a future of mobility in which driverless taxis could become a more common mode of transportation than cars driven by humans. He stated that Tesla “ would be worth practically nothing » if full autonomous driving capability was not achieved.
“ Most people still have no idea how much FSD [ndlr, FSD pour full self-driving, conduite 100% autonome] of Tesla will be terribly goodhe published in March on X. It will be so superhuman that it will seem strange in the future [de concevoir] that humans have driven cars, even when exhausted and drunk ! », he added.
Most people still have no idea how crushingly good Tesla FSD will get.
It will be superhuman to such a degree that it will seem strange in the future that humans drove cars, even while exhausted and drunk!
Cars will take you where you want automatically, just like getting in an…
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 29, 2024
The announcement of a specific date for the presentation of Tesla’s robot taxi has long been delayed by security concerns surrounding the autonomous vehicle.
The automaker is also facing legal proceedings and investigations into accidents involving its Autopilot and Full Self-Driving driver assistance systems, which are not fully autonomous. Tesla blames these accidents on inattentive drivers.
A new milestone for Tesla?
Does the presentation of the robot taxi scheduled for August 8 mark a change in strategy for the American manufacturer? His boss may deny it, but rumors have multiplied about the abandonment of the Tesla at an affordable price, around $25,000. The “electric car for all” was to be the second stage in the development of the Californian brand, after the success of its luxury vehicle.
But in the meantime, China has taken a lead in low-cost models not exceeding $10,000. Today, competition is even fiercer in this segment as demand has slowed since last year and again in the first quarter of this year, in the United States as well as in China and Europe. The cause: inflation and the reduction in subsidies for electric cars.
With an 8% drop in sales since January, Tesla is no longer spared, even if the American retains its rank as world number one, ahead of the Chinese BYD. Tesla’s valuation of $545 billion remains higher than the combined value of the next three largest automakers, Toyota, Porsche and Mercedes-Benz.