Tesla CEO Elon Musk has unveiled the brand’s long-awaited driverless Robotaxi as well as surprise prototype Robovan at the We, Robot event in Los Angeles, USA.
Musk arrived at the launch event at Warner Bros Studios in the fully autonomous Robotaxi, which he dubbed a “Cybercab”. However, the star of the show was the surprise reveal of the Robovan prototype.
Designed to carry 20 people, the fully autonomous Robovan has a retro-futuristic style. With its sleek form and angled facade, the Robovan has a shape that recalls the streamlined, art deco trains designed in the 1920s and 30s at the end of steam.
The van has no visible front or rear windows and features a single slim headlight across its front. This extends to multiple bands that run around the vehicle.
According to Musk, much like the recently released Cybertruck, the Robovan was deliberately designed to have a different aesthetic to existing vehicles.
“Now, can you imagine going down the streets and you see this coming towards you? ,” he said at the event. “That’d be sick.”
“One of the things we want to do, and we’ve seen this with the Cybertruck, is we want to change the look of the roads,” he continued. “The future should look like the future.”
According to Musk, the vehicle is going “to solve high density”, but could also be used to transport goods.
“So this can carry up to 20 people, and it can also transport goods,” he said. “The Robovan is what’s going to solve high density.”
“If you want to take a sports team somewhere or you’re looking to really get the cost of travel down to, I don’t know, 5, 10 cents a mile, then you can use the Robovan.”
Before the prototype was unveiled, Musk talked through the Robotaxi. With no steering wheels or pedals, the two-door taxi had minimal features and Cybertruck-esque styling.
According to Musk, the car will cost “below $30,000” and be on sale in 2026 or 2027.
“We expect to be in production with the Cybercab, which is really highly optimized for autonomous transport in probably, I tend to be a little optimistic with time frames, but in 2026,” he said.
“So, yeah, before 2027, let me put it that way. And we’ll make this vehicle in very high volume.”
Last year Tesla released the futuristic-looking Cybertruck. In a Dezeen video, we shared a look inside the electric pickup and looked at its unique features, including the hexagonal steering wheel.
