Elon Musk pulled the curtain back on a new, electric, autonomous vehicle at Tesla’s “We, Robot” event in Los Angeles on Thursday night. Called the Robovan, it is a prototype that’s roughly the size of a bus and is designed for transporting people and goods within high-density areas.
According to Musk, the Robovan is capable of carrying up to 20 passengers or cargo. The Robovan also has a distinctive retro-futuristic aesthetic, like the Tesla Cybercab unveiled at the same event.
It has a silver metallic body with black accents and is adorned with sleek strips of lighting. It looks like, to me, something Iron Man would drive if he needed a van.
It has sliding doors that open to reveal the interior, which includes seating, standing space, and tinted windows— all without a steering wheel. After Cybercab, it’s another vehicle from Tesla that’s fully autonomous in nature.
And while the robotaxi is said to get the cost of transport down to around 20 cents a mile, the Robovan is claimed to take that even further, down to just 5-10 cents a mile.
The video below shows the Robovan in action, and it certainly looks like something out of the future. However, I wouldn’t be surprised to see design changes when it becomes a reality. For instance, the Robovan has a low ground clearance, which is clearly not practical for city roads.
Musk is quite optimistic about Tesla Robovan
Musk, however, didn’t reveal much about the specifics of the van. And since it’s a prototype, details on the price, production plans, and a release date remain unclear. It will not be a cheap vehicle, though, that’s for sure.
Musk, however, said, “We’re going to make this.” But take the statement with a bit of skepticism as Tesla has a history of missing self-imposed deadlines. Adding to the uncertainty, this is just a prototype. The final design and production timeline are far from certain.
While the Robovan is undeniably eye-catching, it isn’t a novel concept for an autonomous van. We’ve seen similar concepts from companies like Zoox and Cruise, albeit on a smaller scale. China’s WeRide has also unveiled a comparable Robobus.
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