SAN FRANCISCO, April 7 – Electric carmaker Tesla (TSLA.O) will build a “dedicated” self-driving taxi that “will look futuristic,” Chief Executive Elon Musk said on Thursday, without giving a timeframe.
The 50-year-old billionaire, who wears a black cowboy hat and sunglasses, made the comments at the opening of Tesla’s $1.1 billion Texas factory, which will house its new headquarters.
“Massive proportions. Completely self-propelled. There will be a special robotaxi,” Musk said to a large crowd at the factory.
Musk has repeatedly missed his goals of full autonomy. In 2019, he said robotic taxis without human drivers would be available in some US markets in 2020.
In January, he said he would be “shocked” if Tesla didn’t achieve fully autonomous driving, safer than humans, this year.
Tesla will roll out its “Full Self-Driving” beta software to all North American FSD subscribers this year, he said Thursday.
Tesla is now selling the advanced driver assistance systems for $12,000 with promises of more features. It says the software doesn’t make their vehicles autonomous and requires driver supervision.
Launched in late 2020, the beta version aims to allow cars to better navigate city streets. As of January, it was installed in nearly 60,000 vehicles in the United States.
Musk said Tesla has begun shipping Texas-made Model Y electric sport utility vehicles with a goal of producing half a million a year at the Texas factory, which he says is the largest car factory in the United States States would be.
He didn’t provide any details on such Model Ys, but they are likely to be lower-priced versions to better compete with cheaper competitors.
Tesla will begin production of its Cybertruck next year, as well as a humanoid robot, Optimus, Musk said.
According to analysts, the company’s new giga factories in Texas and Berlin, which manufacture vehicles and its own battery cells, face the challenge of ramping up production with new processes.
Musk said Tesla is simplifying car manufacturing by making a car out of three main parts.
Despite record first-quarter deliveries, a recent surge in COVID-19 in China has forced Tesla to suspend production at its Shanghai plant for several days. Continue reading
Thursday’s event comes after Musk surprised the market this week by revealing that he has bought a 9% stake in Twitter (TWTR.N) and will be joining the social media network’s board of directors. Continue reading
Reporting by Hyunjoo Jin; Additional reporting by Akash Sriram in Bengaluru; Adaptation by Richard Pullin and Clarence Fernandez