Elon Musk took center stage again in its 'We, Robot' event, and while the public expected that it would focus on autonomous driving and its robotaxi now called the 'Cybercab,' there was a surprise introduction of its "Robovan." As part of its autonomous driving services and technology coming soon, the new electric and self-driving van will deliver a more comfortable and spacious ride in the future.
While it may look like a train car, the Robovan is actually a bus or van, designed to bring a larger cabin for users to bring them to their chosen destinations, and it was made to offer a fully-driverless ride.
Tesla Surprised the World with Robovan's Introduction
One of the highlights of the Tesla 'We, Robot' was a surprise introduction of the company's new electric van, a vehicle with a more spacious cabin and has no provisions for drivers to control or drive the car. This is the new Robovan which Elon Musk dropped to the audience and livestream watchers, touting that this new EV can seat a total of 20 passengers inside, and it is available for personal or commercial use.
According to Musk, users may transform the Robovan into an autonomous vehicle that will fit their needs, may it be a cargo van, an RV (recreational vehicle), or a school bus that will no longer need a driver.
It was further reiterated by Musk that the Robovan is a "futuristic art deco bus" whose wheels cannot be seen at the surface, offering a seamless retro look that has a roomy interior.
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Fully-Autonomous Electric Van, as Promised
Initially, Musk and Tesla have been dropping hints that they are planning to develop an electric van sometime in the future, but they did not reveal more of what it can offer until now. This new electric van brings fully autonomous experiences for users soon to roam the streets alongside the new robotaxi.
Tesla's Autonomous Electric Vehicle Fleet
The electric vehicle lineup that Tesla offers to the public now is centered on consumer-available cars which are meant to have humans drive it, but there is still the addition of driver assist systems like Autopilot and FSD. However, Tesla expressed its intent to create fully autonomous vehicles that will not have steering wheels, accelerator, and brake pedals, as well as a drive mode selector, starting with its robotaxi.
Initially, Tesla made the public choose between the regular, round steering wheel and the 'Yoke' steering which replicates what planes have in the cockpit, but the company has plans to fully remove it in the future. A rumored 'Model 2' electric vehicle which is supposedly its cheapest vehicle at $25,000 would have had no steering wheels or pedals as it is fully autonomous but was already canceled.
One of the top recurring rumors behind Tesla's fully driverless vehicle was with its robotaxi, a car that will be dedicated to commercial use and offer a ride-hailing service accessible via the app. However, it has more in store for the world in its autonomous car plans, introducing the Robovan that expands more of what it can offer in the future with a more spacious ride.
