Tesla unveils Cybercab and Robovan, but criticized for parlor tricks

Elon Musk’s publicly traded electric vehicle company Tesla, Inc. hosted its highly anticipated “We Robot” event on October 10, 2024, at Warner Bros. Discovery Studios in Burbank, California and streamed it live on his social network X and YouTube.

Despite showing off slick prototypes of a new “Cybercab” autonomous car without a steering wheel or gas and brake pedals, and a similarly sparse, art deco retrofuturistic “Robovan” capable of seating 20 passengers, the event was criticized by some prominent observers as being more style than substance, lacking precise details on timelines, costs, and legal issues, and even coming across as misleading in some cases.

The most glaring example of potentially misleading information was Tesla’s move to have its still in-development humanoid Optimus robots filling the venue space and interacting with attendees, even serving drinks at a bar. While some present assumed the robots were entirely autonomous, reports confirmed they were teleoperated — meaning controlled by a human in another room.

“Not wholly AI? Not at all AI,” wrote venture capitalist Josh Wolfe, co-founder of Lux Capital on Musk’s social network X. “Totally worthy to celebrate low latency remote control but totally dishonest to demo these as autonomous robots—call it the parlor trick it is.”

This skepticism raises questions about how far Tesla has truly advanced in developing artificial intelligence for robotics. While Musk touted the Optimus, Cybercab and Robotaxi as tremendously impactful inventions for society, EV reviewers The Kilowatts noted on X that much of the technology will remain “unbelievable” to investors and consumers until it is actually shipped.

For now, Tesla’s vision of fully autonomous personal robots as well as new autonomous electric vehicle types remains more speculative than realistic. Here’s the video of the event embedded below and a summary of what was discussed:

Cybercab: all autonomous and cheaper than a bus or Model 3?

Perhaps the most expected of the announcements was Tesla’s Cybercab, a two-seater electric vehicle designed for autonomous operation.

Musk described the Cybercab as a sleek, more compact version of the Cybertruck, and it will reportedly cost less than $30,000 — below the current price of Tesla’s currently most affordable personal vehicle, the Model 3, which debuted at $35,000 in 2019 but has since seen its price rise to around $42,000.

According to Musk, Tesla aims for the Cybercab’s operating cost to between $0.20 and $0.30 per mile compared to the operational cost of a bus, which he placed at around $1 per mile.

The vehicles themselves would be powered by inductive (wireless) charging, eliminating the need for plug-in charging stations and further integrating autonomous cars into the urban landscape.

The promise of an individualized “mass transit” future has long been part of Musk’s vision, and the Cybercab is a key component of that goal.

During the event, Musk proudly displayed 20 Cybercabs driving autonomously around the venue. He emphasized that the Cybercab is part of a broader effort to make cities safer, cleaner, and more efficient.

Tesla’s AI Vision system, trained on millions of cars, allows these vehicles to operate without the fatigue and distractions that affect human drivers. Musk claimed that Tesla’s autonomous technology could eventually make driving 10 to 30 times safer than human operation.

He also floated the idea that autonomous car owners could manage fleets of vehicles, offering ride-hailing services similar to Uber or Lyft. This business model, if successful, could reshape the gig economy and create new opportunities for individuals to generate income.

However, while the Cybercab’s debut was met with enthusiasm, industry insiders raised concerns about the lack of concrete details surrounding its rollout.

Musk indicated that production on the Cybercab would begin between “probably” in 2026 or “before 2027,” but admitted he “tend[ed] to be a little optimistic with timeframes.”

And indeed, Tesla has historically struggled with meeting deadlines for its more ambitious projects such as its Full Self-Driving (FSD) and even shipping the Cybertruck, which Musk at one point suggested would be waterproof enough to act as a boat for short journeys (it is not and cannot).

And as Washington Post technology journalist Faiz Siddiqui noted on X, the entire We, Robot event livestream was preceded by a heft disclaimer from Tesla stating, in part, that “Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions with respect to the future, are based on management’s current expectations, involve certain risks and uncertainties, and are not guarantees. Future results may differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statement.”

While the vision of affordable autonomous transportation is compelling, much remains uncertain about when—or if—Tesla can deliver on these promises.

Robovan: Tesla’s answer to buses, trains, and mass transit

Another key reveal at the event was Tesla’s Robovan, a large autonomous vehicle designed to transport up to 20 passengers or goods.

Musk positioned the Robovan as a potential solution for high-density urban transport, hinting at a future where autonomous shuttles replace conventional buses.

The Robovan represents a vision of more efficient, less congested cities where autonomous vehicles run frequently enough to eliminate the need for large, underutilized parking lots.

Musk suggested that, over time, cities could convert parking spaces into parks, improving quality of life in urban areas.

Some technology observers such as Brian Roemmele on X were overjoyed at the news, especially the Robovan’s sleek, striking art deco design, even predicting that “100s of 1000s” or hundreds of thousands of people would be living in Robovans converted into mobile homes by 2031.

Despite these ambitious goals and praise, critics were quick to point out that Tesla offered no specific timeline for the Robovan’s production.

X user Facts Chaser noted that while Tesla unveiled a prototype, China already has operational autonomous vans in real urban environments.

Tesla Full Self-Driving coming to Texas and California next year?

A recurring theme at the We Robot event was Musk’s long-held belief that autonomous vehicles will revolutionize urban life by reducing traffic, improving safety, and reclaiming public spaces.

Tesla’s plans to launch fully unsupervised Full Self-Driving (FSD) in Texas and California by 2025 were highlighted as a pivotal moment in this transformation.

The rollout will begin with the Model 3 and Model Y, followed by the Cybertruck and eventually the Cybercab.

Musk painted a picture of a future where autonomous vehicles are used up to ten times more frequently than today’s cars, dramatically increasing their value.

However, despite Musk’s optimism, several hurdles remain. Tesla has faced significant regulatory challenges in deploying its FSD technology, and autonomous driving technology in general has not yet reached the Level 4 autonomy necessary for vehicles to operate without human oversight.

Optimus: your future household helper?

Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robot also took center stage at the event. Musk introduced the robot as a personal assistant capable of performing everyday tasks like babysitting, walking dogs, mowing lawns, or even serving drinks at parties.

The robot was showcased interacting with and speaking with attendees, even bartending and playing halting games of “rock, paper, scissors” impressing many with its potential versatility.

According to Musk, at scale, Optimus could be sold for $20,000 to $30,000, making it a possible addition to millions of households.

However, he again provided no specific timeline for its release, nor publicly answered questions about how the robot would handle adverse situations like a dog or child running away, breaking something, or causing other problems and mischief, let alone ensuring the robot would be able to handle said common situations safely and without harming others in the process.

Meanwhile, other robotics providers such as startup Figure, 1X (both backed by OpenAI), and many newcomers from China are pursuing their own humanoid robotic helpers for the home, setting up an intense contest. However, Tesla has shown itself to be resistant to challengers in the EV market and continues to grow market share, making the outlook for the Optimus potentially more bullish.

Safety, legal and regulatory challenges remain

One of the biggest challenges facing Tesla as it pushes for widespread adoption of autonomous vehicles and robots is regulatory approval.

While Musk’s vision of autonomous transport is bold, it is fraught with legal and safety concerns.

Vehicles like the Cybercab, which lack steering wheels and pedals, will need to comply with strict safety standards before they can be sold or used on public roads.

Tesla’s existing FSD technology has already come under scrutiny from regulators following several high-profile accidents involving Tesla vehicles operating under partial autonomy.

For Tesla to achieve Level 4 autonomy—where a vehicle can operate without human intervention under specific conditions—it will need to prove that its systems can reliably handle a wide range of driving scenarios without putting passengers or pedestrians at risk.

Spammers take advantage of the attention

The We Robot event attracted significant online attention, though the livestream was marred by a flood of bots and spammers promoting an unrelated cryptocurrency token, XAI33x.

Despite the disruption, Tesla fans were generally enthusiastic about the future Musk presented, although many were left with lingering doubts about the timelines and feasibility of some of the announcements.