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Tesla's driverless Robotaxi is out, cost below $30,000. Why Elon Musk is on edge
Robotaxi event showcased Cybercab and a new business model aimed at revolutionizing transportation, despite delays and lack of regulatory approvals.
Tesla revealed its long-awaited driverless robotaxi prototype today. The unveiling is crucial for Elon Musk as it will long affect the fortunes of his company. In the event, Tesla is expected to reveal both a functioning robotaxi called a Cybercab and details about a new business model which the company believes will power a transportation sector free of human drivers. This comes as Elon Musk has said he believes so strongly in the transformative power of the robotaxi and it’s worth staking the company’s financial future on the product. The event will be livestreamed on Elon Musk’s X social media website.
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Why Elon Musk needs robotaxi event to be a success?
A successful unveiling would help quell doubts around Elon Musk’s autonomous driving strategy but if the event has the type of gaffes that have troubled past product reveals, worries could intensify for the Tesla CEO as the company is behind some of its competitors when it comes to deploying driverless cars on public roads. Tesla is also lagging in the regulatory approvals it would need to monetize robotaxis across its major markets at a time when autonomous driving technology is far from perfect.
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Elon Musk is not a fan of deadlines
Robotaxi event has been delayed several months after Elon Musk ordered changes to the prototype. Making matters more difficult, several key executives have left the company in the days leading up to the reveal. At present, Tesla has a software product with driver-assistance features that it markets as Full Self-Driving, or FSD. But the product requires constant supervision and doesn’t make its vehicles autonomous.
