Everything we know about the Tesla Robotaxi

By Jorge Aguirre
Tesla to develop their own autonomous taxi
Tesla to develop their own autonomous taxi
The Boring Company

We have been hearing about Tesla’s Robotaxi concept for quite a few years, but it seems like we're getting close to it finally becoming a reality.

Here is everything we know about the Robotaxi.

Master Plan Part Deux

The history of Tesla’s Robotaxi starts with CEO Elon Musk's Master Plan Part Deux, published in 2016.

At the time the concept was touted as normal Teslas with full self-driving (FSD) capability.

Once Tesla achieved Full Self-Driving, they would create a “Tesla Network” taxi service that would make use of both Tesla owned vehicles and customer cars that would be hired out when not in use.

In April 2022, however, at the inauguration of Tesla’s new factory in Austin, Texas, Musk made headlines by announcing that the company would be working on a dedicated Robotaxi vehicle that would be “quite futuristic-looking”.

A Variety of Robotaxis

There will be specialty cars built for a certain task
There will be specialty cars built for a certain task
StylePark

In a way, developing a purposely built vehicle makes sense in order to add certain desirable features we expect to see in the Robotaxi, such as face-to-face seating, big sliding doors providing easy access, 4-wheel steering, easier cleaning, etc.

Tesla could even create a variety of Robotaxis that help meet specific needs. For example, Tesla could offer a vehicle that is betrer suited for resting, which could let you sleep on the way to your destination.

Another vehicle could be similar to a home office, offering multiple monitors and accessories that let you begin working as soon as you step inside the vehicle.

Features such as these could bring huge quality of life improvements for some; giving some people an hour or two back in your day.

The variety of Robotaxis doesn't need to end there. There could be other vehicles that are made specifically for movie watching and entertainment or others that allow you to relax and converse with friends, much like you'd expect in a limosine.

Lowest Cost Per Mile

At a time when several companies have announced dedicated robotaxi plans, most notably Zoox, Cruise, and Waymo, Tesla’s plan seem to be accelerating in order to compete with these options.

Additional details on Tesla’s vision for the future of the Robotaxi just emerged during the conference call after the release of Tesla's Q1 2022 financial results.

During the call, Musk stated that the vehicle will be focused on cost per mile, and will be highly optimized for autonomy - meaning it will not have steering wheel or pedals.

“There are a number of other innovations around it that I think are quite exciting, but it is fundamentally optimized to achieve the lowest fully considered cost per mile or km when counting everything”, he said.

During the call, Tesla acknowledged that its vehicles are largely inaccessible for many people given their high cost and sees the introduction of Robotaxis as a way of providing customers with “by far the lowest cost-per-mile of transport that they’ve ever experienced. The CEO believes that the vehicle is going to result in a cost per mile cheaper than a subsidized bus ticket, and that it will ultimately be a major driver of Tesla’s growth.

Release Date

During the Q1 2022 earnings call, Elon talked a little about the timeline for Tesla's Robotaxi. Tesla plans to announce the vehicle in 2023 and begin mass production in 2024.

The difficulty in releasing an autonomous taxi is the self-driving aspect, which Tesla is still actively developing. The Robotaxi's release date will continue to shift in line with Tesla's progress on FSD.

Full Self-Driving

During the earnings call there was no mention of the sensor suite that Tesla is considering for the vehicle but, or whether it would use a modified version of the company’s Full-Self Driving software to navigate its surroundings autonomously.

Their current approach relies solely on a camera system, unlike other automakers who are betting on a combination of cameras, lidar and radar.

During the call Musk seemed confident that their method would pay off later this year.

“With respect to full self-driving, of any technology development I’ve been involved in, I’ve never really seen more false dawns or where it seems like we’re going to break through, but we don’t, as I’ve seen in full self-driving,” said Musk. “And ultimately what it comes down to is that to sell full self-driving, you actually have to solve real-world artificial intelligence, which nobody has solved. The whole road system is made for biological neural nets and eyes. And so actually, when you think about it, in order to solve driving, we have to solve neural nets and cameras to a degree of capability that is on par with, or really exceeds humans. And I think we will achieve that this year.”

Musk has promised that all Teslas with FSD capability will be able to drive magnitudes safer than a human in the future. However, it's not clear if Tesla stills plans to allow customers to hire out their vehicles as taxis in the future.

If Tesla is successful in achieving an autonomous driving vehicle that costs less than a subsidized bus ticket, that would revolutionize car ownership.

In the future it could actually be cheaper to use one of Tesla's Robotaxis than to own your own car.

Plus, you'll have the added benefits of being able to relax, and reach your destination safer and quicker than driving yourself.

Spectacular Tesla Light Show Dazzles to the Tunes of Academy Award-Winning 'Naatu Naatu' [Video]

By Kevin Armstrong
Hundreds of Tesla cars synced to the Indian blockbuster film RRR's award-winning song 'Naatu Naatu'
Hundreds of Tesla cars synced to the Indian blockbuster film RRR's award-winning song 'Naatu Naatu'
Vamsi Koppuravuri/YouTube

Tesla owners recently came together in New Jersey for an incredible display of technology and art. Hundreds of Tesla cars synced to the Indian blockbuster film RRR's award-winning song "Naatu Naatu" to create an unforgettable light show. The energizing event showcased Tesla's upgraded light show feature, part of the Christmas update.

The Twitter account for the movie, @RRRMovie, posted a video, which can be viewed below, of the mesmerizing light show. Elon Musk responded with two heart emojis. After Tesla retweeted the unique video, @RRRMovie replied by expressing their love for Elon Musk. "Naatu Naatu," composed by M.M. Keeravani and Chandrabose, became the first-ever song from an Indian film to win the Academy Award for Best Original Song.

Try the Synced Light Show

A recent update allows owners to schedule their light shows up to 10 minutes in advance or even create multi-car orchestras by starting them simultaneously. This feature can be accessed by tapping the Application Launcher > Toybox. The update also allows Tesla owners to activate the light show using their smartphone app, making it more convenient and fun for those who use the feature as part of their exterior decorations.

The New Jersey event displayed the innovative capabilities of Tesla vehicles and highlighted the growing influence of Indian cinema worldwide. As more Tesla owners come together for events like this, we can expect to see even more mesmerizing light shows in the future, celebrating the convergence of technology and the arts.

Tesla continues to push the boundaries of what is possible with its electric vehicles. Features like the light show demonstrate that the company is committed to creating an experience beyond driving a car.

Some additional light shows are viewable below.

Defending Tesla's CEO Elon Musk: Senator Josh Hawley and Joe Rogan Respond to Critics

By Kevin Armstrong
Senator Josh Hawley defends Elon Musk
Senator Josh Hawley defends Elon Musk
Fox News

Prominent figures such as Senator Josh Hawley and media personality Joe Rogan have come to the defense of Tesla’s CEO, Elon Musk. Both spoke against the negative public perception and criticism while highlighting the importance of free speech. While Rogan spoke about the unfair treatment of Musk by members of the media, Hawley went after one — on his own show.

Senator Calls out Reporter

St. Louis’ KSDK News political editor Max Maxwell set up a recorded segment with the republican senator. While crews were getting the technical aspects sorted out, Hawley confronted Maxwell about his anti-Elon Musk tweets, which the Senator described as "vitriolic." The senator read one of Maxwell's tweets aloud, calling Musk's supporters "bootlickers." Hawley questioned Maxwell's intentions and expressed concern about the journalist's use of a public platform to attack people he disagreed with.

Maxwell explained that his tweet was a moment of frustration and defended his comments as satire, protected under the First Amendment. But it got more awkward as the reporter suggested he was drinking at the time of the tweets. Hawley emphasized that journalists like Maxwell have a lot of access, making their public comments particularly influential and potentially concerning.

Rogan to the Rescue

In another instance of public defense, popular podcaster Joe Rogan discussed the shifting public perception of Elon Musk on his show. According to Rogan, any narrative about Musk's political ideology is baseless. He questioned why people have gone from viewing Musk as a savior who brought about electric cars and reusable rockets to someone who is an "alt-right piece of shit." Rogan argued that the resistance against Musk and the publicity campaign against him have been fascinating to watch.

“The narrative has spread through progressive people where they'll just say it now,” Rogan continued. “It’s like they've reached the memo, the memo’s got to them… I hear people I know like, ‘Oh, Elon's just so crazy. Something happened to him. He went nuts, and he’s a right-winger now… They just have this narrative that reaches them as a signal. Like, ‘Elon bad now.’”

Senator Hawley and Joe Rogan's reactions to the criticism against Elon Musk and his supporters emphasize the importance of free speech and raise questions about the fairness of the media's treatment of the world's richest person. As public figures continue to engage in these discussions, it remains to be seen how perceptions of Musk will evolve in the future and how his tweets will impact Tesla.

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Although we share official Tesla release notes, we are not affiliated with Tesla Motors. We are Tesla fans and supporters.

Latest Tesla Update

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Take a look at features that Elon Musk has said will be coming soon.

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