Tesla's Big Debuts: A Robovan and a Sub-$30,000 Autonomous Coupe

CEO Elon Musk says the Cybercab is fully autonomous, and you'll be able to buy one for under $30,000.

Tesla just showed off the first glimpses of its fully autonomous "Robotaxi." The car, a two-door coupe with butterfly doors called the Cybercab, was revealed on Thursday night during a presentation held by the brand in Hollywood.

Like the name, the Cybercab borrows its front end from the bigger Cybertruck, but it's far smaller and shaped more aerodynamically, with just two seats. There is no steering wheel and no pedals, just a big giant screen in the middle of the dashboard.

Tesla Robovan

CEO Elon Musk did not reveal any performance or range estimates for the Cybercab, but said it will be available to purchase by the public for under $30,000. It'll also have inductive charging, meaning there's no physical plug to juice up the battery.

Musk also showed off an electric van-shaped people mover called the Robovan, meant to autonomously move large amounts of people at a time. There are no specs for this van right now, though from what we can tell, it can fit over 10 people at a time. It's unclear whether this van will also be available to purchase by the public.

Tesla says it expects to start fully autonomous operations in California and Texas next year with the Model 3 and Model Y. It won't be until 2026 when the Cybercab actually hits the road. Musk has long since underestimated delivery times for Tesla's products, and we suspect this one will be no different. He himself admitted he's been "optimistic" in the past with timelines. 

Following the debuts, Tesla allowed guests to take rides in the 50 or so Cybercabs onsite, operating within the closed environment of a movie set. No doubt video from inside the car will start pouring online through the night. But knowing Tesla, it'll likely be a very long time until we actually see these cars on the road.

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