There has been buzz in recent months about Tesla’s upcoming release of a so-called “Robotaxi”. It is described as a fully autonomous vehicle with the potential to be used by consumers as part of a ridesharing service similar to Uber or Lyft.
Tesla’s Robotaxis
Although not much is known about the vehicles themselves at this time, Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk has made multiple posts about them over the years on the social media platform which he also owns called “X” (formerly known as “Twitter”).
In these posts, Musk states that Robotaxis can be purchased or leased from Tesla as part of a standard rental agreement but will require the owner to pay a subscription service for inclusion in the company’s rideshare program. The South African businessman also states that the vehicles will be fully autonomous and will not require a driver. In fact, images from prototypes suggest that no steering wheel will be installed inside the vehicles. Musk also states his belief that owning a fleet of Robotaxis will be a very profitable enterprise and preferable to driving a single vehicle.
Release Timeline
As major metropolitan areas such as Los Angeles or San Francisco are often used as a testing ground for new services or technologies, many Californians are wondering whether they can expect to see Tesla Robotaxis on the streets near them anytime soon.
According to a post dated April 5, 2024, by Musk’s verified account, “Tesla Robotaxi unveil on 8/8”. This suggests that August 8th would be the first date the self-driving vehicles would be revealed and that they would be made available publicly at an unspecified point in the future.
However, according to a Bloomberg Report last week, the automaker issued an internal memo that states the unveiling date will now be “sometime in October”. Although Musk himself has not confirmed the new date, Wall Street believes the report as Tesla’s share price dropped 8% on Thursday after the Bloomberg article was posted.
Consumers anxious to get their hands on a Robotaxi can expect to wait a few years before the vehicles are released to the public. For comparison, plans for Tesla’s newest vehicle, the Cybertruck, were unveiled in November 2019. After several production delays due to the amount of testing required, those vehicles were first released to consumers four years later in November 2023.
If Robotaxis end up releasing on a similar timeline, the first consumers might not be able to get their hands on the vehicles until the winter of 2028 or even later. The updated version of the first Tesla vehicle, The Roadster, was unveiled in 2017 and has yet to reach the market eight years later.
Autonomous Vehicles in California
As for Californians, once Robotaxis are officially released to market, they will almost certainly be deployed within the state. The California Department of Motor Vehicles administers the autonomous vehicle program, which allows certain vehicle manufacturers to test and deploy self-driving cars within the state.
Tesla operates its largest EV factory in Fremont, California, where a recent fire was reported. Workers who have been injured in a fire or other accident at Tesla’s factory may be able to file a claim against the company. It is unknown if Robotaxis will be manufactured or released in the state.
Several companies already hold permits that allow them to operate self-driving vehicles for deliveries or other uses and, assuming the Robotaxi can pass the required inspections and safety protocols, it will likely be added to the approval list. As Tesla is already on a separate list that authorizes manned testing drives, however, Californians may eventually see prototypes on the streets months or years before the vehicles are released to market.
Until that day, prospective buyers across the country will simply have to wait.
