The first Robotaxi prototype has been spotted, with a hefty layer of camouflage over its body – at the Warner Bros. Studios, where the Robotaxi event is expected to occur. This news comes right after Tesla recently announced that a stock draw was going to take place for Robotaxi event tickets.
Tesla has already begun to gather data in the WB Studio area using its Robotaxi mules – but this is the first actual Robotaxi prototype we’ve seen. The mule vehicles have been Model 3s with odd-shaped camera mounts in the rear windows – which appear to approximately line up with the shape of the new vehicle that’s rolling around the studio streets today.
Robotaxi Prototype
The prototype itself appears to be roughly the same size and shape as the Robotaxi Concepts that we’ve seen, along with a box in the back to maybe make its shape harder to discern. Of course, the Tesla-like headlights, aero caps, and curves are fairly obvious to the seasoned observer, and it looks like a compact Model Y.
Most interestingly, it seems that Tesla has camouflaged this vehicle to try and prevent people from discerning what it is – but astute Tesla fans on Reddit have noted seeing this vehicle and several others wrapped in eye-catching bright yellow, along with fake body panels.
@philroberts
It seems the prototypes have two doors and steering wheels, at least currently. In a now-deleted comment, a Reddit user also mentioned they caught sight of a straight and solid rear lightbar, similar to the Cybertruck—and perhaps the leaked Model Y Juniper that was seen last month.
Unlike the Cybertruck event – where the “unbreakable” windows shattered on stage, Tesla appears to be putting a lot of effort into preparing for this event and making sure everything goes right. It definitely feels like attendees will get to experience calling for a Robotaxi and getting a ride at the Warner Bros. studio, which will make this unlike any other Tesla event before.'
We’re looking forward to seeing all the cool things Tesla will reveal at the upcoming Robotaxi event – which is on October 10th. If you haven’t already signed up to be included in the random drawing for tickets, be sure to sign up soon, as entries for the drawing close on Tuesday, September 17th!
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Did you miss Tesla’s biggest event since its inception? No worries, we have you covered.
We’ve got a straightforward and easy-to-digest recap below, split and organized by sections. Of course, we’ll dive into some of the bigger subjects in detail over the upcoming days, so stay tuned!
Event Info
· Tesla’s We, Robot event was centered on the future of autonomy
· 5 “neighbourhoods” were created.
· Westworld offered Texas BBQ and the stage for the event
· Metropolis had arcade games, and the ability to take a swing at Cybertruck!
· TSLA Theater had pizza and desserts, as well as a movie on a gigantic screen.
· New York brought a block party with live music and street performers, as well as street snacks.
· Finally, the last area was Merch – which, surprise – offered Tesla Merch, including gear, apparel, posters, and more.
· Elon Musk arrived in style in a Robotaxi to kick off the event.
Master Plan Part 4 Reference Poster
Jowua on X
General/Master Plan Part 4
· The event made multiple references to Master Plan Part 4, but we haven’t seen the official document yet.
· Today’s transportation infrastructure is too expensive, not safe, and not sustainable.
· 10 hours a week of use of consumer vehicles out of 168 hours a week.
· Unsupervised Full Self Driving – Fall asleep and wake up at your destination.
· Increased free time for humans
· Goal is to remove parking lots, as less will be needed in the future of autonomous vehicles.
· Create green space in the cities we live in.
AI Poster
Jowua on X
Robotaxi/Cybercab
· The Cybercab has 2 doors, 2 seats, and is a 4-wheeler, as expected.
· It has a front and rear lightbar, similar to Cybertruck.
· No paint, Cybertruck style finish.
· No rear or top glass.
· No steering wheel or pedals.
· Butterfly doors.
· Large center screen.
· Has large, hatch-like trunk
· 20 vehicles produced and ready at the event, with 30 additional Model Ys.
· Autonomous vehicles will be 10x safer than humans.
· Low cost for autonomous transit; $1/mi for buses, Cybercab around $0.2/mi ($0.4 after taxes and fees)
· Will be available for purchase
· Will cost below $30,000 USD.
· One person will be able to take care of a small fleet easily.
· Cybercab production begins before 2027.
· Comes with inductive charging.
· Tesla Social Media mentioned Fleet Management software.
· Tesla showed off an automated cleaning system in the video, vacuuming the vehicle, wiping the seats and screens.
· CyberCab will still be Vision-only, no need for radar or lidar.
· Call it once, and its available for you all day, for either quick trips or long trips.
Elon Musk Poster
Sawyer Merrit on X
RoboVan
· Tesla showed off a fully automous RoboVan with no front window.
· Up to 20 people or can be setup for goods transport.
· RoboVan has a Cyber aesthetic as well.
· Large glass sliding doors.
· Tesla seems to be going all-in on this aesthetic for its future vehicles.
· RoboVan can be adapted to school bus or RV use.
· RoboVan can also be adapted to personal use – this suggests it could be outfitted with a steering wheel and pedals.
The CyberVan arriving
Not a Tesla App
AI and Hardware
· Unsupervised FSD in Texas and California in 2025, with Model 3 and Model Y.
· Unsupervised FSD for S, X, and CT in the future.
· AI has lived “a million lives” so it’s been trained on numerous odd situations.
· Always pays attention and is always fully aware of its surroundings.
· 10-30x safer than humans.
· Focus on Tesla Vision – full autonomy, unsupervised for S, 3, X, Y, and CT.
· Cybercab will have AI5, will have oversized compute compared to what’s required.
· Distributed inference compute brought up again.
· No news on inductive charging for other vehicles.
The Optimus Poster
Jowua on X
Optimus
· Optimus was brought out on stage again, walked alongside employees.
· Attendees were allowed to interact with Optimus robots, they walked around with them.
· Optimus robots served drinks at the bar.
· Expected to cost $20K-$30K USD.
· Will be an autonomous robotic assistant that can help with household tasks.
· It can also be a humanoid friend, teacher, babysitter, etc.,
· Elon mentioned the risks of AI Super Intelligence, and having to address it.
· People were able to talk and interact with the Optimus units on the ground at the event. They could converse, dance, pour rinks, play rock paper scissors (and win!)
· Guests were not allowed to touch the Optimus units in the crowd, as they were still being escorted by employees, likely for safety reasons.
Another poster referencing Master Plan IV.
Jowua on X
If you missed the event, you can also see the entire thing on YouTube!
Tesla’s Robotaxi event is coming up later today, and there’s lots of hype. It’s absolutely going to be a must-see event, so we’ve outlined how you can watch it tonight.
If you weren’t one of the lucky lottery winners who managed to snag a ticket, there are a few ways to watch the Robotaxi event.
When
Tesla says the event will start at 10 PM EST or 7 PM PST. However, expect it to start fashionably late as usual. The agenda Tesla has provided is below.
Watch Live
The event is expected to be available on X, YouTube, and Tesla’s website. The links for X and YouTube are below. We’ll update this as the day goes along and Tesla adds additional sources.
This is the agenda Tesla has provided. All times are PST.
3:00 PM: Parking Lot Opens
5:00 PM: Doors Open
5:30 PM: Check-In Begins
7:00 PM: Remarks
Watch in Tesla Showrooms
Tesla is also running events at its local showrooms worldwide. Many of these pop-up events have been organized by the Tesla showrooms or in conjunction with local Tesla Owner’s Club groups.
You can go to Tesla’s Events Page here and see if there are any showrooms open in your region. These events are in-person, and a good way to hang out with local Tesla fans and owners to watch one of the biggest events in Tesla’s history. If you don’t see an event listed, try calling your local Tesla showroom or contacting your local Owner’s Club. Other events may be running locally that you could attend.