Elon Musk Initiates Major Change to Robotaxi Design, Postpones Reveal for Now
Tesla CEO Elon Musk indicated Monday that the automaker needs more time to unveil its robotaxi so it can implement a major design change to the front of the vehicle and “show off” a few other things.
Musk did not say when the automaker would hold an event to launch its robotaxi. Bloomberg News reported last week that the event, originally scheduled for August, had been postponed until October.
“I asked for what I think is a significant design change on the front end, and the extra time gives us the opportunity to show a few other things,” Musk said on X in a reply to a user’s post discussing the event.
An insider reported Friday that the robotaxi event has been postponed, but declined to provide further details.
The development of robotaxis and autonomous driving systems faces several technical and regulatory hurdles. Wall Street analysts and Tesla investors have indicated that a delay in the launch of the robotaxis would not be a surprise.
Musk announced the unveiling in August, after Reuters reported on April 5 that Tesla had canceled its long-promised low-cost car and would move forward with development of self-driving robotaxis on the same platform for small vehicles.
The billionaire CEO has provided minimal details about the robotaxi so far, saying only that some vehicles would be owned and operated by Tesla, while others would be owned by individuals but rented out through Tesla’s network.
Tesla shares rose Monday after Musk publicly endorsed Donald Trump in the U.S. presidential race, raising hopes that a potential Trump administration could make it easier for Tesla to get regulatory approval for robotaxis and autonomous driving systems.
Musk had said in 2022 that Tesla expects to mass-produce a robot taxi with no steering wheel or pedals by 2024, after repeatedly missing its self-driving car goals.
Tesla shares rose five percent in midday trading.
© Thomson Reuters 2024
