A photo that has since been deleted from Reddit (but never from the internet at large) appears to show a prototype of the Tesla robotaxi testing its self-driving abilities with a Tesla Model Y following closely behind. Comments on the post indicate that the photo was snapped behind a boomed area at the Warner Bros studio in Burbank, California. This seems to confirm that the so-called Cybercab will be unveiled at a movie studio.
Tesla will be holding a shareholder event on the 10th of October, and that’s when the robotaxi is expected to be revealed after several delays. According to the photographer, the prototype bears a full-width taillight bar like the Cybertruck, but only one image was shared.
Preparations For Demonstrations
The choice to hold such an event at a movie studio at first seemed a little strange, but it makes sense for several reasons. For one, the location provides free marketing buzz for Tesla, encouraging fanatics to discuss the event date in more detail. For another, and this is a key factor, this location allows Tesla to demonstrate an as-yet unproven technology on roads that look and feel real with less risk of another embarrassing moment where a technological claim is disproven in front of myriads of in-person and online viewers (ahem, Tesla Cybertruck and its supposedly unbreakable glass). With the predictability of clear streets, Tesla is using these weeks preceding the event to properly map the environment so that demonstration rides can repeatedly be performed at the event.
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An earlier teaser of the robotaxi reveals that the cabin will be devoid of any traditional operator controls like pedals and steering wheel, so it’s imperative that the Cybercab performs as expected, even if the actual rollout of a self-driving taxi service will more time to realize. As for the exterior design, this prototype features a lot of fake body paneling and vinyl to obscure its true shape, but it appears that the silhouette seen in early prototype sketches is being maintained.
A Competitive Segment
General Motors will be using the Chevy Bolt to spearhead its autonomous driving technology, and it announced an additional $850 million investment in Cruise a couple of months ago. Amazon-owned Zoox is also preparing for robotaxi rides in the near future, Hyundai has proven that its robotaxi is one of the most capable, California will soon see more Waymo robotaxis, and the creator of the Rimac Nevera has revealed the Verne hatchback, promising that its robotaxi service will provide a mobility experience fine enough to rival being chauffeured.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk says that the future of the company is in AI and robotics, not in a lot of new cars, so this event needs to be a big success. Hopefully, we’ll get some updates on the long-awaited refresh of the hot-selling Model Y and an EV cheaper than the Model 3, but all signs currently point to next month’s event being focused solely on self-driving.
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