Elon Musk reveals the Cybercab, Tesla’s self-driving robotaxi

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.

No technical details have been released yet, other than that the Cybercab doesn’t have a traditional EV charging port on the car. Instead it will be charged via induction charging. That’s likely to be at charging stations, where the robotaxi will also undergo a thorough cleaning and sanitisation process ready for its next ride.

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"The whole vehicle is designed to transport people without a driver,” said Musk. “That’s where we want to get to. What will you do with your time once you no longer have to drive? You can sleep or watch a movie or work. Moving around in a self-driving vehicle will give you opportunities you don’t have now. It’s a revolution.”

The 20-seat robovan with its art deco styling will be made true to the style of the vehicle that arrived on the Warner Bros set in Los Angeles, according to Musk. The big doors slide open to reveal a comfy, lounge-like interior with a bar and sofas inside.

Although the self-driving tech is set to debut in the Cybercab, it’s also set to roll out across the rest of the Tesla range. Musk repeated a previous claim that Tesla owners could soon rent out their cars as driverless cabs when they’re not using them. “We will enable it on all our cars, opening up new revenue opportunities for drivers who have bought one of our models, from Model 3 and Y to Cybertruck via Model S and X,” he said.

While attendees at the event, including chairman of rival car company Stellantis John Elkin, were wowed by dancing robots, there was no news of Tesla’s next car. The rumoured Model 2 could bring Tesla prices down to under £30,000. The current cheapest Tesla remains the Tesla Model 3, which starts at £39,990.