What we know about Tesla’s highly-awaited Robotaxis ahead of the ‘We Robot’ event

It’s been more than a few years since Tesla CEO Elon Musk first said that the company was building a dedicated self-driving car.

Tesla cars are yet to reach full autonomy. (File photo)

Elon Musk-owned Tesla is reportedly gearing up to launch its much-awaited ‘Robotaxi’ at an event next month. The electric vehicle (EV) maker has been sending out invites to a select group of Tesla shareholders and mediapersons.

In an apparent nod to Isaac Asmiov’s widely acclaimed sci-fi novel, the Tesla invites reportedly carry the tagline ‘We, Robot’. They further claim that the “future of autonomy” will be unveiled at the event that was initially scheduled for August but now set for October 10.

Even though the launch of Tesla’s Robotaxi has been teased since April this year, there’s little we know about the fully self-driving car. Based on rumours, the Robotaxi will sport a “Cybertruck-like” design though it is expected to be smaller in size. Users on social media have speculated that a video posted by Tesla offers a glimpse of the autonomous vehicle’s interiors with hints that there will be no steering wheels or pedals.

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A few people also reported spotting a heavily-camouflaged prototype being test-driven on the lot of Warner Bros Studios in Los Angeles, California, US, where the Robotaxi launch will be held. A demo of Tesla’s latest Optimus humanoid robots is also expected to be on the cards.

A pending promise

It’s been more than a few years since Tesla CEO Elon Musk first announced that the company was building a dedicated self-driving vehicle.

Currently, Tesla car owners have access to two suites of driver assistance features: Autopilot (with automatic steering, accelaration, and braking) and the more advanced Full Self-Driving or FSD system which offers features such as automatic lane changes, automatic parking, and automatic stopping for traffic lights and stop signs at a subscription of $99 a month.

Notably, Tesla stresses that “Autopilot and Full Self-Driving (Supervised) are intended for use with a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the wheel and is prepared to take over at any moment.” On the other hand, Tesla rivals like Waymo have been growing their ride-hailing services using geo-locked technology.

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However, Musk has been investing billions of dollars to build supercomputers that would help Tesla reach full autonomy. We’ll have to wait for the October event to see if that vision has become reality.