Preliminary insights into Elon Musk's Robotaxi platform
Tesla gives a first glimpse into his upcoming Robotaxi service, which will be officially unveiled in less than two months. A video created by Rosalie Nathans, Senior Manager of Used Cars and Online Sales at Tesla, shows the ride-hailing platform on which the autonomous vehicles will be used.
The ride-sharing platform
In the video, Nathans demonstrates how the service is used: a vehicle is requested at the touch of a button via an app. The app then shows a map with the location of the next available vehicle, the estimated time of arrival and the seating capacity. Users can also set the desired temperature in the vehicle in advance. A central display in the vehicle shows the route, arrival time and remaining distance during the journey. Users can also adjust the temperature, volume and music in the car according to their preferences.
Autonomous driving without a human driver
One striking difference to conventional driving services such as Uber is the lack of a human driver. The video gives the best insight yet into Elon Musk's vision of an autonomous robotaxi service. This could Tesla-offer owners the opportunity to earn additional income by providing their vehicles to the fleet. Musk has mentioned in the past that vehicle owners could earn around 30,000 dollars (around 28,000 euros) a year.
Technological basis and challenges
The underlying technology for the Robotaxi service is Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) software, which is currently in beta. The FSD software, which Tesla-owners can purchase for 15,000 dollars (about 14,000 euros) or a monthly fee of 100 to 200 dollars (about 93 to 187 euros), still requires constant monitoring by the driver. It enables vehicles to change lanes, recognize stop signs and traffic lights, park autonomously and merge onto the highway. This technology has attracted the attention of regulators and court cases as its safety and reliability have not yet been fully proven.
Focus on robotaxis instead of cheaper models
According to reports Tesla has postponed its plans for a cheaper 25,000-dollar car in favor of developing the Robotaxi. However, Elon Musk has denied these reports. He sees the FSD and the Robotaxi service as key elements for the future valuation and success of Tesla. Musk stated in 2021 that the day the FSD hits the market will be one of the biggest value increases in history.
Future revelations and expectations
Tesla has so far revealed few details about the final design of the Robotaxi. According to Walter Isaacson, Musk's biographer, Musk wants a vehicle without mirrors, pedals and steering wheels. The official presentation of the Tesla Robotaxi has been announced for August 8, and more details are expected to be revealed then.
Conclusion
With the imminent unveiling of the Robotaxi service, there are Tesla an exciting glimpse into the future of autonomous driving. Not only could this development revolutionize the market for ride-hailing services, but it could also open up new revenue streams for vehicle owners. Tesla's focus on innovation and technological advances underlines the importance of the Robotaxi project for the future direction of the company.
