New Delhi: Elon Musk recently announced plans to unveil a Tesla robotaxi on August 8, following earlier reports from Reuters about Tesla’s alleged shift away from a $25,000 low-cost electric vehicle (EV) to focus on the robotaxi project. Musk disputed Reuters’ claims on X, his social network, without providing evidence to support his assertion. However, he subsequently confirmed the unveiling of the Tesla robotaxi in August.
Reports have circulated for some time regarding Tesla’s development of both a lower-cost EV and a robotaxi. Despite this, Musk has vacillated on whether to prioritize a traditional car with a steering wheel and pedals or a fully autonomous vehicle lacking these traditional controls. His engineers favored the former, even as Musk emphasized his vision for autonomous capabilities.
Musk has long promised autonomous features in Tesla vehicles, including the ability for them to drive themselves. However, previous deadlines for such capabilities have been missed. Tesla’s current offerings include driver-assistance features like Autopilot and the option for “full self-driving” (FSD), which promises eventual full autonomy but currently requires driver supervision. Despite these features, Tesla vehicles are not fully self-driving.
Overall, the announcement of the Tesla robotaxi reflects Musk’s ongoing commitment to advancing autonomous technology within the company’s product lineup, despite past setbacks and changing priorities.
