THE ROBOTAXI
At Tesla’s recent “We, Robot” event, CEO Elon Musk unveiled the Robotaxi, a purposebuilt, fully autonomous vehicle that lacks traditional controls like a steering wheel or pedals. It represents a significant step forward in Tesla’s plan to democratize autonomous transportation.
While Tesla’s current models already feature Full Self-Driving (FSD) in a supervised state, the Robotaxi is designed for complete autonomy, and it marks Tesla’s most significant departure from traditional car design to date.
The Robotaxi, with its compact size, seating for two passengers, and futuristic, minimalist design, is engineered to handle urban environments.
It features butterfly-wing doors, a spacious trunk, and a completely enclosed cabin with no rear window or glass roof—elements that make it distinct from any other vehicle on the market.
The lack of a traditional charging port also sets it apart. Instead, the Robotaxi is powered by inductive charging. It can wirelessly recharge its batteries via charging pads embedded in parking spaces, eliminating the need for cumbersome plug-in charging stations.
Tesla envisions the Robotaxi as part of a shared mobility network where passengers can hail rides using a mobile app. This network could significantly lower transportation costs, potentially dropping the cost per mile to around 20 cents—a fraction of the cost of using traditional taxis or rideshare services like Uber or Lyft. The Robotaxi is designed for personal convenience and to transform public transportation.
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