Tesla CEO Elon Musk has officially announced that the company’s Robotaxi platform will soon be expanding to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This confirmation came during the Saudi-U.S. Investment Forum, where a $600 billion investment pledge was agreed upon between the two countries.
This marks the first time that Musk has specifically mentioned Saudi Arabia as a future destination for Tesla’s driverless fleet of vehicles. While the initial launch of the Robotaxi platform is set to take place in Austin, Texas in June, the expansion into Saudi Arabia is a clear indication of Tesla’s global ambitions.
During the Investment Forum, Musk expressed his excitement about the prospect of autonomous vehicles in the Kingdom, stating, “Really, you can think of cars, or future cars, as being robots on four wheels. I think it will be very exciting to have autonomous vehicles here in the Kingdom, if you’re amenable.”
As Tesla continues to roll out its Full Self-Driving suite in different parts of the world, the company is also working towards expanding its presence in Europe. However, regulatory approval from EU agencies is still pending, which may delay the launch of the Robotaxi platform in the region.
One key point to note is that the Robotaxi platform will not be limited to a specific model, such as the Cybercab. Instead, any Tesla vehicle equipped with unsupervised Full Self-Driving capabilities could potentially join the Robotaxi network. This would require collaboration with local authorities to first introduce a Supervised version of the suite before transitioning to the unsupervised FSD platform.
Despite the regulatory hurdles, Tesla’s relationship with the Middle East appears to be thriving. The recent launch of the Cybertruck in Saudi Arabia, which allowed for customer orders last month, indicates a positive reception in the region. Additionally, Musk’s Starlink project has received approval for maritime and aviation use cases in Saudi Arabia, further solidifying the bond between the country and the visionary CEO.
Overall, Tesla’s expansion into Saudi Arabia represents another step towards a future where autonomous vehicles are a reality. With Musk at the helm, the possibilities for innovation and growth seem limitless.