Tesla Robovan Brings the 'Futuristic Art Deco Bus' to Reality and Here's Why

The future is already looking massive for Tesla, and its recent 'We, Robot' event introduced the world to a surprising grand reveal of another autonomous electric vehicle which we now know as the "Robovan." Tesla has done it again by debuting an odd design for its electric vehicle after introducing the Cybertruck all these years ago, but its CEO and founder, Elon Musk, claims that there is a reason for it.

In the recent event, Musk and Tesla introduced two self-driving rides that will soon join its fleet, with the Cybercab and Robovan going back-to-back on offering new modes of transformation that will no longer require drivers.

Tesla Robovan, The Futuristic Art Deco Bus is Now a Reality

Tesla Robovan

The Robovan came as a shock to many not only because it was not part of what was expected for the event, but also due to its quirky design which Musk referred to as a "futuristic art deco bus."

Musk introduced the new electric van by leaving a rhetorical question to the audience, saying that the Tesla Robovan is the answer to more seating capacity needs that the Model Y (and Model X) cannot fulfill. This is because the Robovan can seat up to 20 people inside, and it can be modified for different types of vehicles.

Tesla's Robovan also integrated train-like doors that slide to open, and these intuitively stow away without blocking passengers or opening outwards like most buses.

Fans and the audience described it as a retro-modern-looking vehicle, something that seemed to be taken straight from futuristic depictions from movies or shows decades ago, accurate as to what Musk wants it to appear to the public.

Elon Musk Explains Why Robovan is Like That

Its unique design also has reasons as to why the prototype looks like that, with Musk saying that from the inside, it will show passengers views of "extreme openness," offering visibility in all directions.

Moreover, while the Robovan may portray an illusion of floating from the ground, its "unusually low ground clearance," as explained by Musk, can adapt to different road conditions using its "automatic load-leveling suspension" depending on the ride.

Tesla's Foray into Self-Driving, Ride-Hailing

One of the most prized developments of Tesla now is its autonomous driver-assist technology known as 'Full-Self Driving' (FSD) which the company envisions to run the world in the future.

However, while they are not quite there yet, there is another venture under Tesla's belt that explores more autonomous capabilities, and this is with the hyped robotaxi.

It was previously revealed that Elon Musk and Tesla significantly changed their course towards the robotaxi venture which will have it compete against the likes of Waymo and Cruise in this growing market.

The company planned that the Tesla robotaxi would offer a ride-hailing service that is accessible on its dedicated mobile app, moving away from its driver-based electric vehicle development.

Despite Tesla not yet perfecting the FSD for on-road use, the company has now introduced its latest self-driving ventures that will offer its services to the world soon.

The Robovan may not be your average-looking car, but what it lacks in conventional design, makes up for what it has to offer in the future.