Tesla’s highly anticipated Robotaxi debut has been delayed from its original date of August 8 to October 10, as confirmed by CEO Elon Musk during the company’s second-quarter earnings call. The unveiling of the autonomous vehicle, which was first mentioned by Musk in 2022 and announced for August this year, has been pushed back to allow engineers more time to work on the prototype.
The decision to delay the Robotaxi unveiling comes after reports surfaced earlier this month that the vehicle’s debut would be postponed. The Robotaxi is expected to be a self-driving car designed for ride-sharing services. Musk did not address questions during the earnings call about whether the vehicle would include a steering wheel and pedals, leaving some uncertainty about the design of the Robotaxi.
In light of General Motors’ recent announcement that its Cruise self-driving technology company would no longer use the Origin, an EV designed without manual controls, for a planned taxi service, Tesla’s approach to autonomous vehicles is being closely watched. Before focusing on a purpose-built autonomous vehicle, Musk had previously promised Tesla owners the ability to rent out their cars as taxis through the Tesla Network.
The concept of Tesla owners using their vehicles for ride-sharing services has been discussed by Musk since 2016, with the company planning to provide infrastructure and support for the Tesla Network. Owners would be able to offer free rides to friends and family, with Tesla taking a percentage of the revenue generated through the network. However, this vision is contingent on Tesla developing an autonomous driving system capable of replacing human drivers.
Currently, Tesla’s Full-Self Driving system is classified as a Level 2 driver-assist system on the SAE scale of self-driving capability. The system’s misleading name and performance issues have raised concerns among regulators. The company’s decision to design an entirely new vehicle around autonomous driving technology may further complicate matters.
As Tesla works towards the development of the Robotaxi and advances its autonomous driving capabilities, the automotive industry and consumers alike are eagerly awaiting the unveiling of this groundbreaking vehicle on October 10. Stay tuned for more updates on Tesla’s foray into the world of autonomous vehicles.