Tesla will develop a “dedicated” self-driving robotaxi that would “look futuristic,” according to Chief Executive Elon Musk, who did not provide a timeline.
The statements were made by the 50-year-old billionaire. He was wearing a black cowboy hat and sunglasses during the opening of Tesla’s $1.1 billion factory in Texas. It is also home to the company’s new headquarters.
“Massive scale. Full self-driving. There’s going to be a dedicated robotaxi,” Musk told a large crowd at the factory.
Musk has fallen short of his goal of complete autonomy on multiple occasions. In 2019, he predicted that in 2020, robotaxis with no human drivers would be available in various U.S. markets.
He remarked in January that if Tesla does not accomplish full self-driving that is safer than humans this year, he would be “shocked.”
Full Self-Driving
Tesla’s “Full Self-Driving” beta software will be available to all North American FSD subscribers this year, he announced on Thursday.
The advanced driver aid systems are now available for $12,000, with the promise of more functions in the future. It claims that the software does not make its vehicles self-driving and that a human must supervise it.
The beta version released in late 2020. It intends to make it easier for cars to navigate city streets. In the United States, it already fitted in almost 60,000 automobiles by January.
Tesla has begun delivering Model Y electric sport utility cars produced in Texas. The goal is to produce half a million per year at the Texas factory. Musk also claims it would be the largest in the United States.
He didn’t say much about these Model Ys, but they’re likely to be cheaper variants to compete with cheaper rivals.
Tesla’s Cybertruck and Optimus, a humanoid robot, will then go into production next year, according to Musk.
According to analysts, the company’s two giga plants in Texas and Berlin, which will produce vehicles and its battery cells, may confront difficulty ramping up production with new procedures.
Musk said that Tesla was simplifying automobile manufacturing by employing only three essential components.
Despite record first-quarter deliveries, a recent COVID-19 increase in China has prompted Tesla to temporarily halt production at its Shanghai factory.
Musk stunned the market earlier this week when he announced that he had purchased a 9% investment in Twitter. He would likewise be joining the company’s board of directors.