Tesla unveiled the Cybercab robotaxi at the “We, Robot” event in October 2024. The company believes these autonomous vehicles could be a significant part of the business’s future success by operating a fleet of these machines to transport people. Testing plans to begin testing the machine in California and Texas in 2025.
As presented during the premiere event, the Cybercab is a three-door hatchback with butterfly doors and room for two occupants inside. As a model with autonomy as the focus, the interior lacks a steering wheel or pedals. A tablet-like display dominates the center of the dashboard.
Autonomous Driving But A Human Can Take Control
The Cybercab’s major technological hurdle is carrying people safely in vehicles where the occupants can’t take control if something goes wrong. The world is a chaotic place, and emergencies can happen at any time. Tesla’s solution is to use human remote operators to take control if there’s an issue.
“Tesla believes it would be reasonable to assume some type of teleoperator would be needed at least initially for safety/redundancy purposes,” Deutsche Bank wrote in an investors’ note obtained by Reuters.
The company didn’t explain how quickly a human could take control of a Cybercab. It also didn’t offer examples of situations where the remote person would take over. According to this note, Tesla will own and operate the Cybercabs fleet. The company will use the resulting data from people using this service to develop a ride-hailing app internally.
More To Know About The Cybercab
A few more details about the Cybercab have emerged since the vehicle’s debut. A Tesla engineer said the company chose a two-seat layout for the vehicle because 82 percent of miles driven occur with two or fewer occupants. The configuration also allows for a smaller, lighter car with lots of storage space. The engineer said the trunk was large enough to carry two full-size bags and two carry-ons, a folding wheelchair, or multiple golf bags.
The screen on the Cybercab’s dashboard measures a massive 21 inches – the largest ever in a Tesla vehicle. For comparison, the center display in the Cybertruck is 18.5 inches. Occupants in the cab will be able to pair their phones with the system to watch videos on the big monitor.
TopSpeed’s Take
This decision only makes sense for Tesla. Autonomous driving technology is constantly improving, but these systems aren’t perfect yet. If the vehicle gets into a situation that it can’t get out of, then someone needs to be able to take control, especially because there are no pedals or steering wheel.
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