Tesla CEO Elon Musk predicts Robotaxi launch will force other automakers to license Full Self-Driving
Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, recently made a bold statement regarding the impending launch of the company’s Robotaxi platform. According to Musk, the launch of the Robotaxi platform later this month will essentially compel other automakers to license Tesla’s Full Self-Driving technology in order to achieve their own goals of autonomy.
This announcement comes on the heels of a video that surfaced today, showcasing the first Tesla Robotaxi test mules navigating public streets in Austin, Texas. This comes just a day after the city officially listed Tesla as an autonomous vehicle operator.
Investing YouTube personality and Tesla enthusiast Dave Lee recently made a prediction, suggesting that by the end of the year, at least one automaker will license Full Self-Driving technology from Tesla. This move, according to Lee, will give competitors the confidence to utilize the software for their own self-driving initiatives.
Musk expressed his skepticism towards other automakers’ efforts in achieving vehicle autonomy, stating that many are being misled into believing that the Robotaxi platform is not viable or that simply purchasing hardware from Nvidia will solve their problems.
He went on to assert that as Tesla’s Robotaxi service becomes more widespread and other solutions fail to deliver, automakers will inevitably turn to Tesla for assistance:
“The automakers keep being told that this isn’t real or that just buying some hardware from Nvidia will solve it. As Tesla robotaxis become widespread and their other solutions don’t work, they will naturally turn to us.”
Musk has been vocal in his confidence regarding Tesla’s capabilities, particularly with the imminent launch of the Robotaxi platform. While speculation abounds about the potential rollout date, Bloomberg reported that Tesla is internally targeting June 12 for the launch.
Tesla has hinted at discussions with a major automaker regarding the licensing of Full Self-Driving technology, although the identity of this automaker remains undisclosed. Musk previously mentioned:
“We’re in conversations with one major automaker regarding licensing FSD. It really just becomes a case of having them use the same cameras and inference computer and licensing our software. Once it becomes obvious that if you don’t have this (FSD) in a car, nobody wants your car. It’s a smart car… The people don’t understand all cars will need to be smart cars, or you will not sell, or nobody would buy it. Once that becomes obvious, I think licensing becomes not optional.”
Speculation suggests that Ford might be the automaker in question, given Musk’s relationship with Jim Farley and Ford’s previous adoption of Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS). This move allowed Ford access to Tesla’s Supercharging Network, setting a precedent for other companies to follow suit.
As Tesla prepares to revolutionize the autonomous driving landscape with its Robotaxi platform, other automakers may find themselves compelled to make a similar strategic decision in order to remain competitive in the evolving automotive industry.