Tesla Cybercab Robotaxi and Robovan unveiled by CEO Elon Musk

The highly anticipated Cybercab 'Robotaxi', created by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, recently made its appearance on stage at a high profile event at Warner Bros Studios near Los Angeles. Priced below USD 30,000, the futuristic vehicle due in 2026 has no steering or pedals and features gull-wing doors. Musk also revealed the 'Robovan,' a larger autonomous vehicle that can transport up to 20 passengers, however, he offered very little explanation on when it would be available or what are its specifications.

Tesla's latest reveal shows the firm is turning away from cheap, mass cars toward autonomous vehicles. Self-driving technology can reshape transportation, Musk predicted, and autonomous vehicles could be as much as ten times safer than human driven cars. He said, such vehicles will allow people to 'get their time back and 'the autonomous future is here'.

But Musk did not lay out a clear timetable for ramping up Robotaxi production, as setbacks have thus far slowed other companies working to find a way in the increasingly crowded autonomous driving field to commercialisation, such as Alphabet's Waymo. But analysts were skeptical, noting that safety would have to be ensured in difficult driving conditions such as inclement weather, or on busy intersections. "I think the market wanted more definitive timelines," said equity trader Dennis Dick from Triple D Trading, adding that he was disappointed.

Noting the low operating costs of these vehicles, Musk claimed the Cybercab could run for just 20 cents a mile and induction charging would be a plugless technology. At 5 cents per mile this would be even cheaper than the Robovan. Tesla's robotaxis will use artificial intelligence and cameras rather than lidar, a decision that experts have flagged as both a technically and a regulatory tough call.

Apart from these unveils, Tesla also showcased advances on its humanoid robot 'Optimus' as a candidate for lower cost daily work next decade and Musk highlighted other autonomous vehicles.